No prospects for normalizing ties with Russia: Former German general

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - There are no prospects at all for normalizing relations with the current Russian government in the wake of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, a former German general told Anadolu.

Asked whether there could be normal relations with the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Klaus Wittmann said: “I don’t think so. I see no prospect there. And he (Putin) has shown no sign of readiness for cooperation. He has developed Russia into a spoiler nation.”

“And I have become quite sober, for instance, after having listened myself in Munich (Security Conference), President Putin’s 2007 speech, and I have realized that with the present Russian government, it will not be probable or prospective to redevelop cooperative relations with Russia,” the former brigadier-general added.

Wittmann did stress though that in the long-run, “security in Europe can only be developed with Russia, and not against Russia.”

“I, myself, have for many years, developed and published ideas for cooperative as opposed to confrontational security with Russia,” he said.

Wittmann pointed out that Russia could play a constructive role in resolving regional and global problems, instead of relying “on regional military superiority, and now on aggression as we see.”

He lambasted “military threats” by Putin against NATO countries for their armed support to Ukraine.

“I don’t think a militarily weakened Russia would dare to attack NATO,” he went on to say.