The leader of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, stated on Wednesday that the West must take into account Russia’s security interests and „force” Zelensky to make peace with Putin. She accused NATO of not considering Russia’s „concerns” and of „installing missile systems, with nuclear capabilities, near the border, especially in Romania.”
In a 75-minute interview with The Economist, Weidel claimed that Germany’s support for defending Ukraine against Russia’s invasion is futile – Ukraine is „too small” and has „already lost” the war, she argues. Therefore, Germany should exert „pressure on the Ukrainian president” to end the war, and Berlin must follow the principle of „Germany first,” including by copying Trump’s agreement with Russia regarding gasoline.
Weidel argues that prolonging the war "endangers Germany," as it could become a target.
When asked if there are signs that Putin wants peace, Weidel replied: "But what about Volodymyr Zelensky?" She acknowledges that Russia was the aggressor in 2022, but argues that the West has ignored Russia's security concerns for decades and must stop doing so.
She also accuses NATO of not considering Russia's "concerns" and of "installing missile systems, with nuclear capabilities, near the border, especially in Romania," referring to the Aegis system at Deveselu, an American strictly defensive system.
"We must also look at Russia's security interests. And in the past, that was the big mistake. No one listened to Russia's concerns about NATO approaching Russia's borders. Russia has said this many times, why did no one listen to Russia's concerns when missile systems were placed at the border, especially in Romania, capabilities with nuclear devices, like the Aegis system? What I'm trying to say is that there is a lot of history. To have peace in Ukraine, we must look not only at Ukraine's security interests, but also at Russia's," she said.
The system installed at Deveselu base is purely defensive, designed to detect, track, and intercept ballistic missiles.
The base in Romania is the first unit in Europe where the Aegis Ashore missile defense system has been deployed, a land-based version of the radar system that equips US Navy ships since 2004.
The Deveselu unit is equipped with 24 interceptors and contributes to NATO's overall missile defense system against ballistic missiles.
The missile defense shield, known as Aegis Ashore system, also includes the Redzikowo base in Poland, US Navy destroyers based in the Spanish port of Rota, and an early warning radar located in the Turkish town of Kurecik.
Approximately 200 soldiers are stationed at the two intercept sites in Poland and Romania, with the Deveselu base being operational since 2016.
Vladimir Putin stated as early as 2022, before the invasion of Ukraine, that the Deveselu Shield represents a threat to Russia.
T.D.