Scandal surrounding the chief of the navy: “Schönbach case” outraged Ukraine

The federal government fears a war in Europe because of the Ukraine crisis. The German naval chief Schönbach publicly downplayed the threat posed by Russia – and resigned. But that’s not enough for Ukraine.

The “Schönbach case” has long ceased to be one that only left Berlin politicians dismayed. In the meantime, he has rapidly made international headlines. The words of the German vice admiral caused shock and outrage, especially in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian ambassador in Germany welcomed Kay-Achim Schönbach’s resignation, but considered it insufficient. The scandal left “a shambles” and “massively called Germany’s international credibility and reliability into question,” Ambassador Andriy Melnyk told the “Welt”. For the EU partner Ukraine, the incident seems anything but over.

Schönbach contradicts the line of the federal government

Schönbach, who was still the inspector of the German Navy until yesterday evening, caused a lot more than just frowns with statements that are in hair-raising contradiction to the line of the federal government. “Is Russia really interested in a little piece of Ukrainian soil?” the vice admiral asked during a presentation he gave at a think tank in India, answering himself: “No, that’s nonsense.” While the USA, NATO and the German government are urgently warning of an impending war in Europe, Schönbach speculated in the opposite direction.

Putin has no interest in an attack, he just wants respect, Schönbach speculated. It’s easy to show Putin the respect he demands and “probably deserves,” said the navy chief, who wants Russia to be a partner on Germany’s side against China. According to Schönbach, if only because he, as a “radical Roman Catholic Christian,” prefers a Christian country as a partner.

When the senior military figured out what he had done with his sentences, he tried to limit the damage. On Twitter he spoke of a “clear mistake.” But nothing could be repaired anymore.

The result: first the highest-ranking soldier, the inspector general, asked him for an interview, like that ARD Capital Studio has been confirmed. A short time later it was clear: Schönbach vacates his post. The vice admiral said he had asked the defense minister to relieve him of his post. The minister complied.

Ukraine summons German ambassador

By downplaying the Russian threat, Schönbach had enraged important allies – and at the same time undermined the German policy of struggling for unity in dealings with Moscow. And then he also said these sentences: “The Crimean Peninsula is gone. It will never come back.” Statements that caused so much trouble in Kiev that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador.

The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the defense committee in the Bundestag, considers the resignation to be logical. With his statements, Schönbach questioned the European security structure and international law.

The step was also unavoidable from the point of view of the CDU defense politician Henning Otte. “Anyone who suggests respect and understanding for Putin in this tense security situation is subject to a military misjudgment,” Otte said.