BLUF
Jeremy Cliffe argues Germany has a complex relationship with Russia due to strong cultural connections, its position between east and west and the two thousand-year-old Latin-German divide.Summary
Jeremy Cliffe writing in the New Statesman makes the following points regarding how German culture and history affect its Russian kinship relationship:
- German- Russian bonds extend to medieval times.
- German war guilt remains over Nazi atrocities against Russians.
- From the 1960s, Germany tried to improve relations with Moscow.
- German dependence on Russian gas creates pressure for the settlement of the Russo-Ukraine Conflict.
- Younger Germans might be more Western in outlook than older generations.
References
References from the Web:
- JUN 2022 Germany’s New Resolve on Russia Is Already Flagging- Foreign Policy
- AUG 2022 Germany is now the fulcrum for Vladimir Putin’s pressure- Brookings
