War in Ukraine: “Morally degenerate”: Dispute over Bohlen’s statements on Russia

war in Ukraine
“Morally degenerate”: Dispute over Bohlen’s statements on Russia

The music producer and DSDS juror Dieter Bohlen caused a lack of understanding with negative statements about the sanctions against Russia. After he was annoyed by Western sanctions against Russia, criticism rained down – in social media and also from prominent voices such as SPD leader Saskia Esken.

Bohlen defends himself against the allegations and says: “I am absolutely against the war.” A video had previously caused displeasure in which the 68-year-old spoke at a panel event on the business platform “Entrepreneur University”. AfD boss Tino Chrupalla tweeted that Bohlen represented his party’s point of view.

Referring to the policy of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, he says: “If they hadn’t imposed these sanctions, for example, and you’d sat down sensibly at a table, yes, then people wouldn’t need to do all this nonsense now.” Bohlen goes on to say in the short clip: “Now we have to freeze, now we have to do this and that, that’s all shit from my point of view.”

Esken is outraged

The video was shot at the end of August and began to spread rapidly on social media on Wednesday. SPD leader Esken also reacted – with outrage: “How morally depraved do you have to be to ignore this terrible war, the fear and suffering and death it causes for cheap applause?” Esken tweeted. “And to complain about the cold” and all the frippery” that doesn’t affect him as the super-rich anyway?”

It is wrong to assume that he has a political direction because of his statements, Bohlen told the German Press Agency on Thursday. “I wish nothing more than for this war of aggression to end, so that the suffering in Ukraine can end and we can all live in peace again. I am absolutely against war. I want the situation to de-escalate.” He initially did not comment specifically on the sanctions.

Extensive sanctions imposed on Russia

In response to the war against Ukraine that Russia began in February, many Western countries – including Germany – imposed extensive sanctions. Above all, these are intended to make it more difficult for the Kremlin to finance the war. The EU’s punitive measures include an extensive oil embargo. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project is now on hold.

Bohlen became known as the singer and composer of the internationally successful pop duo Modern Talking (“You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul”), which was and is also very popular in Russia. He is currently on the jury for the last season of the RTL casting show “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (DSDS), which is scheduled to be broadcast in early 2023.

RTL also commented on a dpa request: “Nobody can be indifferent to dying in Ukraine. Since February, RTL Germany has been reporting extensively in numerous, sometimes all-day special programs on RTL, ntv and on its digital news offers about the war, for the people in this country up to date,” said a spokeswoman. “In addition, we also help with the RTL Foundation where we can.”

AfD boss takes Bohlen’s side

But Bohlen, who is now the head of the jury at DSDS for the 19th time and who has always polarized the TV audience with his strict judgments, also received a lot of encouragement for his criticism of the sanctions. For example, from AfD boss Tino Chrupalla, who announced via Twitter that Bohlen represented the AfD’s point of view. “Without sanctions, citizens would not need to freeze. The sanctions do not affect Russia, but their own citizens. Thank you for having the courage to tell the truth, Mr. #Bohlen!”

Former world boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko expressed his shock at Bohlen. “Do you, Dieter Bohlen, not care if people die here? Do you not care that Putin wants to destroy our country with rockets?” Klitschko asked on Twitter. In the “Bild Live” program, he invited Bohlen to Kyiv: “If Dieter Bohlen travels to Ukraine and sees with his own eyes how the country works during the war, it will help him to understand the world better.”

dpa