Opinion: Appeal against war with Russia reveals ignorance about Eastern Europe

Sixty prominent Germans have issued a public appeal against war with Russia. Although honorable, the appeal overlooks certain key facts, writes DW’s Ingo Mannteufel.

In its selectiveness, the petition reveals a shocking degree of ignorance about Russia and Ukraine. These countries are not seen in terms of their history, current processes, peculiarities, and complexity, but rather as objects to reflect the image projected by (Western) Europe. The true challenges lie elsewhere: How do we concretely deal with a revisionist Russia that is increasingly autocratic and in crisis? What does the right balance between threat neutralization, containment, and appeasement look like? This appeal with its lofty platitudes does little to answer such questions.