The Russian activist Irina Scherbakova spoke impressively about the death of Alexei Navalny on “Maischberger”. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann took on a fellow Wagenknecht member on the show.
While the other participants in the discussion on Tuesday evening largely agreed on the need for arms deliveries to Ukraine and further dealings with Russia, there was a real exchange of blows between Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) and Amira Mohamed Ali from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance. It was primarily Strack-Zimmermann who spoke to her counterpart's conscience – and repeatedly portrayed her statements as strange.
- Irina Scherbakova (Russian civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner)
- Thomas Roth (former head of the ARD studio in Moscow)
- Marie-Agnes Strack-ZimmermannFDP (defense politician)
- Amira Mohamed AliBSW (co-chair)
- Christian Rach (top chef and presenter)
- Paul Ronzheimer (“Picture”)
- Iris Sayram (ARD capital studio)
Strack-Zimmermann: “Where do you actually live?”
“Tell me, where do you actually live?” was one of the offensive questions that Strack-Zimmermann asked Mohamed Ali. The reason: Mohamed Ali had emphasized the need for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and called for peace negotiations.
Russia, according to the BSW politician, is the largest nuclear power in the world. “If we get into a situation where the war escalates further and NATO intervenes, then we will have World War III,” she warned. Strack-Zimmermann objected vehemently. “According to your logic, we'll wait until Putin has upgraded,” she said.
Mohamed Ali, in turn, said that moral considerations had to be left out here. The reality is that Russia is ruled by a dictator and that he is firmly in the saddle. Strack-Zimmermann countered again: “And now the Western world is putting up a fight and accepting this?”
Strack-Zimmermann: “Then call Moscow!”
“Butter the fish,” demanded the FDP politician and wanted to know from Mohamed Ali: “What do you actually want?” Their answer: that people in Ukraine stop dying. Then Strack-Zimmermann: “Then call Moscow and not Kiev. That's where it happens!” While the former left-wing politician responded to Strack-Zimmermann's question about where she actually lived with a succinct “Wow,” she countered at another point: “Those are always such pithy sayings, but not reality.”
Meanwhile, Strack-Zimmermann left no doubt that she believes the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine is essential – and for this reason she will soon vote with the CDU and against her own government, which did not explicitly mention this in its own motion. “I regret that this weapon system has become a synonym for the question: 'Who will prevail? Who has the biggest shovel in the sandbox?'” said the FDP politician. It's not about her or the Chancellor. “That's why I will agree to this CDU motion because I want the child to be called by its name: and that is the Taurus cruise missile.”
Strack-Zimmermann and Mohamed Ali only agreed on one thing, albeit for different reasons: there should be no compulsory military service in Germany.
Ronzheimer: The situation in Ukraine is more dramatic than ever before
“Bild” reporter Paul Ronzheimer talked about a recent visit to the front. The situation was devastating: “I have never returned from a visit to the front with such dark thoughts,” he said. The Ukrainian soldiers are desperate because there is no new mobilization. They blamed this on their own government, said Ronzheimer.
Sandra Maischberger wanted to know whether Ukraine was losing this war. “At the moment, Ukraine is losing. That doesn't mean that it is losing the entire country,” said Ronzheimer and added: “I have the feeling that this has not yet sunk into Germany: the situation has never been so dramatic since the beginning of the war .”
