Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier believes that supplying weapons to Ukraine is a justified measure, including for Christians.
Speaking on Sunday, September 10, at the interfaith event “International Meeting of Peace” in Berlin, he stated the dilemma of deciding between the Christian commandment of peace and support for victims of military aggression. According to Steinmeier, these questions also concern him as a Christian, DW wrote.
At the same time, on February 24, 2022, the day of the full-scale incursion into Ukraine, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, “everything changed”, the President of Germany emphasized. By continuing his destructive war, Putin wants to destroy the values on which Europe is based, he said. “One of the lessons learned from the catastrophe of the Second World War for us Europeans was the necessity of countermeasures. This lesson says, “Never again,” Steinmeier said.
It is not Kyiv and its supporters who have abandoned peace, but Russia, and if Ukraine stops defending itself, it will be its end, the head of the German state is confident. “That’s why we, the Europeans, and we, the Germans, support Ukraine – in particular, with weapons,” he explained.
The three-day event in Berlin is organized by the Catholic community of St. Egidius. Within its framework, meetings are held involving politicians and religious figures where peace issues are discussed.
Commenting on the aim of the event, Steinmeier called the meetings in Copenhagen and Jeddah the first important steps towards peace in Ukraine. According to him, it is important to discuss the possibilities of a peaceful settlement at the political level, as it is necessary to “maintain peaceful prospects, even if the path to them is not yet obvious.” At the same time, “Ukraine will make the decision about when it will be possible to venture into peace,” he added.
