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German Caution On Arms To Ukraine Rooted In History, Energy

Published

4 years ago

February 1, 2022

Germany’s refusal to join other NATO members in providing weapons to Ukraine has annoyed some allies and raised questions about Berlin’s resolve in standing up to Russia.

The issue rose to the fore over the weekend following a report that Berlin had gone so far as to block Estonia from supplying old German howitzers to Kyiv to help defend itself against Russian troops massing near the Ukrainian border.

Germany’s stance on arms supplies does “not correspond to the level of our relations and the current security situation,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denied a decision had been made on the howitzers and insisted that his country stands with its NATO and European Union allies in opposing any Russian incursion into Ukraine.

“Should this situation occur, we will jointly act,” he told reporters. “There would be a high price.”

Still, while Germany would continue to provide help to Ukraine, there would be one exception, he said: “We don’t provide any lethal weapons.”

That stance, criticized in Kyiv and — less loudly — in Washington and London, has caused consternation among some in Germany who worry that their country may not be considered a reliable partner.

“How many in Berlin are actually aware how our seemingly confused Ukraine policy harms not just (Germany) but the entire EU?” asked Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany’s former ambassador to the United States and now head of the annual Munich Security Conference.

Experts say Germany’s position is partly rooted in its history of aggression during the 20th century.

“There’s the obvious legacy of Germany’s own militarization in Europe during two World Wars that has led many German leaders to view any military response as the last resort,” said Rachel Ellehuus, deputy director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

That attitude could backfire, she said. “The current government does not seem to grasp that sending defensive weapons to Ukraine might actually deter further Russian aggression.”

And while Germany has pointed to its restrictive position on arms exports to conflict zones in the past, analysts say the rule has not been consistently applied.

“There have always been borderline cases here, such as the Kosovo war or support for the Kurds against IS in Syria,” said Sabine Fischer, a senior Russia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

The debate over German weapons is unfolding days after the head of the German navy resigned following criticism at home and abroad for comments he made on Ukraine and Russia. Speaking Friday in India, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach said it was important to have Russia on the same side as the EU against China and suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved “respect.”

With Scholz’s Social Democrats are steeped in the legacy of Cold War rapprochement pursued by his predecessor Willy Brandt, his governing partner the Greens are rooted in a tradition of pacifism. That means two out of Germany’s three governing parties would balk at the idea of supplying arms to a non-NATO country in a conflict with Russia. But letting Estonia pass on the old Soviet-designed 122-mm D-30 howitzers to Ukraine might be an acceptable compromise.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made clear that, qualms about exporting arms to Ukraine aside, Berlin takes a dim view of Russia’s recent behavior.

“In recent weeks, more than 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and guns have gathered near Ukraine for no understandable reason. And it’s hard not to see that as a threat,” she said during a visit to Moscow.

Speaking alongside her Russian counterpart, Baerbock acknowledged the “suffering and destruction that we Germans brought upon the peoples of the Soviet Union” during the Nazi era, but warned that Germany was willing to consider tough steps if Russia acts against Ukraine.

This includes calling into question the future of the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline meant to bring natural gas from Russia to Germany.

Such a move against its biggest energy supplier would come at a high price for Germany, too.

With plans to switch off its last three nuclear power plants this year and phase out the use of coal by 2030, Germany’s reliance on gas will increase in the short term until enough renewable energy comes online, said Georg Zachmann, a senior fellow at the Bruegel economic think tank in Brussels.

Yet German officials believe that being a large customer of Russian gas can give it leverage, as Moscow won’t want to harm its reputation as a reliable supplier.

Germany’s neighbors, however, aren’t convinced that tactic will work.

“For almost three decades, Germany has been pushing for a more inclusive approach to Russia based on the Wandel durch Handel (change through trade) approach. But it didn’t change Russia,” said Slawomir Debski, director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs, a think tank in Warsaw.

But the bickering now among NATO and EU allies doesn’t help either, he said.

If Berlin wants to focus on putting economic pressure on Moscow while others provide military aid to Ukraine, such a ‘good cop, bad cop’ approach could work, said Debski, “provided there is part of an agreed allied strategy and agreement on the fundamental endgame.”

Speaking Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Baerbock said the German government’s priority is to deescalate the situation over Ukraine, dampening allies’ calls for military support to Kyiv and swift new sanctions against Moscow.

“Berlin will have to deal with the criticism that is now coming from Ukraine, other European countries and Washington,” Fischer said.

“At the same time, Germany remains an important player in the negotiations surrounding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and, I predict, will continue to support sanctions and other measures in the future.”

Headline

‘Qatar Airways Detains Nigerian For 18hrs, Forces Him To Sign Document Written In Arabic’

Published

12 hours ago

September 19, 2025

Editor

Qatar Airways meted out poor treatment to a Nigerian passenger by detaining him for 18 hours, compelling him to sign a document written in Arabic, and paying a hefty fine to secure his release.

The Nigerian passenger’s travails with the airline were revealed by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a statement.

According to Achimugu, a Qatar Airways crew member accused the Nigerian passenger of touching her buttocks while wheeling a passenger during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the United States (US) via Doha.

Achimugu added that the female crew member reported the incident when the flight landed in Doha, leading to the Nigerian’s arrest and detention.

“During the period, his wife suffered mental, physical, and psychological trauma without any form of care. She wondered how her husband could have committed such a despicable infraction given that she was with him throughout the boarding process,” Achimugu said.

He added that the authorities forced the Nigerian passenger to pay a hefty fine and sign a document written in Arabic to regain his freedom and proceed on his journey to the US.

Qatar Airways, however, refused to fly him to the US, prompting the Nigerian to buy tickets on another airline.

Achimugu also said the NCAA invited the country manager of Qatar Airways in Nigeria, but he sent his subordinates to attend in his stead.

“Upon invitation by the NCAA, the airline’s country manager, who has a penchant for evading meetings with the NCAA, only sent his subordinates to attend. However, the NCAA made a determination on that matter along with others.

“As has become typical of @qatarairways, they failed to comply with all determinations made from that meeting. They have also failed to treat subsequent complaints from other passengers escalated to them by the CAA, including total silence upon receipt of a letter of investigation (LOI) sent to them by the NCAA,” Achimugu added.

He condemned the act, adding that Nigeria will not tolerate infringement of consumer protection regulations by international airlines.

“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY airline not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA.

“It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”

Headline

Canada-based Nigerian Sets Guinness World Record For Longest Leadership Lesson

Published

16 hours ago

September 19, 2025

Editor

Nigerian-born leadership coach and author Peter Adeleke has officially set a new Guinness World Record for the longest leadership lesson, after teaching for 28 hours and 45 minutes in Calgary, Canada.

Adeleke, who embarked on the marathon lecture in August targeting between 30 and 48 hours, aimed to surpass the previous record of 24 hours.

In a post on Instagram on Monday, he announced that the Guinness World Records had approved his attempt, making him a title holder.

A screenshot of the confirmation email from GWR partly read, “We are thrilled to inform you that your application for the longest leadership lesson has been successful and you are now the Guinness World Records Title Holder!”

Confirming the record on its official website, GWR stated, “The longest leadership lesson is 28 hr 45 min and was achieved by Peter Adeleke (Canada), in Calgary, Canada, on 30 August 2025.

“Peter is an author, speaker and qualified leadership expert. He set out to achieve a record in the field to change the narrative of leadership.

“He hopes to raise the bar in leadership development and spark conversation around transformational leadership.”

Also, celebrating the milestone, Adeleke wrote on Instagram, “It’s official! He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms… Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight, & my mouth to speak.

“I am humbled and honoured to officially announce that I am now a Guinness World Records Holder for the Longest Leadership Lesson in history.

“This journey was not by strength, but by grace, resilience, and the unwavering support of an incredible team. To God alone be the glory.”

On his website, he further explained why he did not reach his initial 48-hour goal, saying, “Originally, I had set out to teach for 48 hours, but I completed the feat in 28 hours instead.

“And I’ve learned that in leadership — and in life — success isn’t always about hitting the exact target you set. It’s about pushing boundaries, discovering your true limits, and creating meaningful impact along the way.

“Did I break the record? Yes, I did — and it’s now official and confirmed! What mattered most was surpassing the previous record of 24 hours, and I achieved that by delivering a leadership lesson that lasted 28 hours.”

This achievement makes Adeleke one of a growing number of Nigerians to hold a Guinness World Record.

In a similar development, celebrity chef Hilda Baci last week set a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, weighing 8,780 kilogrammes (19,356 lb 9 oz) at the Gino World Jollof Festival in Lagos, making her a two-time GWR title holder.

In May 2023, she set the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, cooking for 93 hours and 11 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 87 hours and 45 minutes held by Indian chef Lata Tondon.

Headline

Kimmel’s Suspension: Obama Slams Trump For ‘Dangerous’ Attack On Free Speech

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

Editor

Former United States President Barack Obama has condemned the suspension of the late-night show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel following remarks he made about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

In a post on X on Thursday, Obama described the suspension of the show as a dangerous attack on free speech led by President Donald Trump.

He wrote, “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”

Obama’s comments came after ABC, owned by Walt Disney, announced on Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live had been suspended indefinitely.

The decision followed threats of a federal investigation into Kimmel’s remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a close Trump ally who was shot and killed on September 10 while debating students at a Utah university.

During Monday’s broadcast, Kimmel accused Kirk’s supporters of using his assassination to “score political points.” At least one local ABC affiliate had already announced plans to stop airing the program before the network’s decision.

The suspension has sparked backlash from free speech advocates, who argue that the administration’s actions amount to political censorship.