The Vice Admiral and Chief of the German Navy, Kay-Achim Schönbach, is resigning from his post after controversial statements on the Ukraine conflict and dealings with Russia. On Saturday he asked Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) to be dismissed, and the head of the defense department complied with his request. Only a few weeks after taking office, the minister was caught in the first turmoil.
During an appearance in India in the midst of the escalating Ukraine conflict, Schönbach showed understanding for the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and accepted the annexation of Crimea as a permanent condition. “The Crimean peninsula is gone, it will not come back,” he said in a recorded conversation with military officials and military experts. In 2014 Russia annexed Crimea. From Schönbach’s point of view, the fact that Russia wants to appropriate Ukrainian territory is “nonsense”. In the current conflict, Putin wants to be respected. Schönbach said: “What he really wants is respect on an equal footing. And – my God – showing someone respect costs almost nothing, costs nothing. So you would ask me: It’s easy to give him the respect he demands – And he probably deserves it.” He sees the greater threat in China. “Even we, India, Germany, need Russia because we need Russia against China.”
According to information on Saturday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the German Ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen. It is about the “unacceptability of the statements made by the Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Kay-Achim Schönbach.”
The Ministry of Defense had previously stated: “In terms of content and choice of words, the statements in no way correspond to the position of the Federal Ministry of Defense.” A meeting with Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, the highest-ranking soldier in the Bundeswehr, was actually scheduled for Monday. Schönbach anticipated this by resigning. Hours earlier, he had stated on the short message service Twitter that in the statements in the talk show of a think tank he had given his “personal opinion”, which was “in no way” an official position of the government and finally admitted a “clear error”.. “There is nothing to interpret.”
In the evening, the navy issued a statement from the vice admiral: “My thoughtless statements about security and military policy made in India are increasingly weighing on my office.” He had asked the minister to relieve him of his duties and responsibilities with immediate effect in order to “take further damage from the German Navy, the Bundeswehr, but above all from the Federal Republic of Germany”. Rear Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, Schönbach’s deputy, now leads the navy for the time being.
CDU defense politician Otte describes the release from management tasks as “inevitable”
The resignation was welcomed in Parliament. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the Defense Committee, said the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “Vice Admiral Schönbach openly questions the European security structure and international law. His resignation is logical.” Henning Otte, defense politician for the CDU, told the SZ: “Anyone who demands respect for Putin in this dramatic situation is obviously subject to a wrong assessment of the situation.” Otte described the release from managerial duties as “inevitable”.
Schönbach’s visit to the region is linked to the frigate’s Indo-Pacific voyage Bavaria together. For the first time in almost 20 years, a German warship is cruising the region and visiting partner countries. Predecessor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) wanted Germany to show a stronger military presence in the Indo-Pacific, she also wanted to close ranks against China. With its territorial maritime claims and military demonstrations of power, the country is increasingly perceived as a threat. So far the trip has been uneventful. The ship has long been on its way back and is expected back in February – then the navy will probably have a new boss.