Armin-Paulus Hampel
New Russian Policy
German Bundestag, January 31, 2019, Plenarprotokoll 19/77, pp. 8945-8946
[Armin-Paulus Hampel is an Alternative für Deutschland Bundestag member from the western German state of Lower Saxony and was a television journalist. Alexander Lambsdorff is Bundestag foreign policy spokesman for the Free Democrats Party (FDP). “Junge Freheit” is a German newspaper generally considered to be on the political right.]
Herr President. Right honorable ladies and gentlemen. Dear guests of the German Bundestag.
One ought to look back to the 1930s when, for the first time, the League of Nations imposed sanctions against Italy so as to torpedo and condemn its Abyssinian policy. Even then the sanctions imposed against Italy failed completely. Till this day, nothing therein has changed.
I well remember the successful slogan of the Social Democrats (there was then no AfD) which we in the 70s, thanks to Willi Brandt and Egon Bahr, had so correctly formulated (none of you had called for change through sanctions, which is also correct): Change through conciliation – that can one only underline – is the correct political path. Sanctions are not only scarcely required, they hinder the conciliation.
Daniela de Ridder (SPD): Don’t you mis-use us!
The Federal Republic of Germany alone has through the sanctions policy lost between 50 and 120 billion euros in turnover. That is not counting the collateral damage and side-effects. Businesses do not want to take on anymore risk and so forsake business with Russia. The lack of trust effects both sides. Business planning is put at risk and, due to the dual-use ambiguity, ever more business runs into risk or is not pursued. Once again: the German economy – and agriculture besides – has taken a 90 billion euro cut.
The USA, let it be said by the way, ladies and gentlemen, has gained. The trade with Russia is large. Washington has allowed so many exemptions that U.S. trade with Russia has increased. The business with Russia we do not, others do. So it is in normal life and in business life. That means that India, Israel, China, Switzerland and Turkey, they all are taking up the business which we no longer do with Russia. And it is then also completely normal that there is an accustomization effect: as soon as the first Chinese product has been purchased, will the subsequent business be re-directed again to the Chinese partner. And should there be no more sanctions, then one remains with the Chinese supplier and the German economy is left out. That is the effect on the German economy. The sanctions policy hinders our prosperity and it hinders our balance and our understanding with Russia. Let us end the sanctions policy immediately. That is best way to arrive again at talks, and before all business, with Russia.
It is especially problematic that with the sanctions policy other important areas are concerned, since, when we are no longer communicating, when there is only superficial talks with Herr Lavrov and Herr Putin, then we have also in other important areas of politics no more understanding. Take the Near East, where we no longer play a role. Take Russia’s Africa policy, which we in no way can accompany nor can we be active as consultants. And take especially Venezuela, a theme of immediate moment, concerning which we of the AfD were reprimanded by Union circles yesterday. It is absurd, ladies and gentlemen. The players in Venezuela, besides the United States, are Russia and China. Thus plainly must one also so speak with these countries, whether one wants to or not. In this case, it would also be very important, for example, to speak to Russia and to develop a common line in the Venezuela policy; since, what perhaps some of you still do not know, a German journalist sits for ten weeks in secret confinement in Caracas and no German policy troubles itself about him and attempts to obtain his release. For that, Russian assistance would perhaps succeed. The man is called Billy Six, make a note of it. He writes for Junge Freiheit – I know, you’re shaking your heads. We must negotiate exactly as we had negotiated in connection with the journalist in Turkey.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are agreed: Realpolitik in the German interest is the decisive credo of our time. We require of the federal government: let us immediately end the sanctions policy against Russia. It brings us only disadvantages, it splits Europe. Only in common with Russia can be constructed a peaceful Europe.
Alexander Lambsdorff (FDP): The whole EU stands behind that!
We stand for that and for that should this German Bundestag in common stand. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
[Translated by Todd Martin]
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