Left-populist BSW party warns against direct conflict between Germany and Russia

BERLIN

Germany’s left-populist BSW party renewed its opposition to the delivery of long-range missiles to Ukraine, warning that it could spark a direct conflict between Germany and Russia.

BSW’s leader Sahra Wagenknecht told public broadcaster ARD late Sunday that German voters want a change in Berlin’s Ukraine policy, and they made this clear once again during last month’s regional elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg.

“We should finally have a sensible discussion in Germany about how we can end this terrible war in Ukraine, this is causing enormous suffering every day,” Wagenknecht said, adding that her party opposes both sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, and the deployment of US long-range missiles in Germany.

“We must end this terrible war, but we cannot end it by supplying more and more weapons. There must be pressure towards more diplomacy, and there should be a clear position on these long-range missiles. That is what the people in Thuringia want, also in Saxony, and also in Brandenburg,” she stressed.

The BSW party, which was founded only in January, fiercely opposed Germany’s weapons supplies to Ukraine during its election campaign, and demanded stronger efforts from the government for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Wagenknecht’s left-populist party won 11-15% votes in the three eastern German states last month, and became a king-maker.

The BSW is currently holding talks with the center-right CDU for forming coalition governments in Saxony and Thuringia, but their opposing positions on Germany’s Ukraine policy remains one of the biggest hurdles for the parties.

The CDU’s leader Friedrich Merz said last week in a speech at the federal parliament that Germany should increase its military support for Ukraine in its war of defense against Russia, and should deliver long-range Taurus missiles to the country.

Wagenknecht strongly criticized Merz’s comments, and insisted that the CDU organizations of Saxony and Thuringia should make their positions clear on Ukraine policy, if they want the BSW to join their coalition governments.

“If what he (Merz) demanded were implemented, that would mean that Germany would enter into a war with Russia, that is extremely dangerous. If we form a coalition with his party, then of course it must be made clear to our voters that the state governments must clearly distance itself from such a course and set a different tone,” she said.

Wagenknecht underlined that a majority of Germans were against further escalation with Russia, and more than 80% of young people were now expressing concern about the possibility of war in Europe, according to the latest surveys.

Germany is currently Ukraine’s second-largest donor after the US, and has provided advanced weapons such as Leopard 2 battle tanks, Patriot missiles, and IRIS-T air defense systems.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in July that Berlin and Washington started working on the deployment US long-range missiles in Germany, arguing that this would close a capability gap for protecting Europe in the face of Russia's threats.

The plan includes the deployment of SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and developmental hypersonic weapons, which have a significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe, according to German officials.