“The world is burning”, this is not the time for “Germany First”. Former ambassador of Germany before Tusk's visit
The world around us is burning, this is not the time to put our own interests above the common ones; there is no room for actions according to the “Germany First” principle, Rolf Nikel, German ambassador to Poland in 2014-2020, told PAP.
Polish-German intergovernmental consultations will be held in Berlin on Monday with the participation of Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
– These will be regular intergovernmental consultations, but in difficult times – said Nikel.
The previous consultation took place in 2024 after a six-year break. As he noted, in accordance with the Treaty between the Republic of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany on good neighborliness and friendly cooperation consultations between Warsaw and Berlin should take place annually.
Meanwhile, the previous consultation took place in 2024 after a six-year break; During the rule of Law and Justice (PiS), this format was virtually frozen.
In the opinion of the former German ambassador to Poland, “we are currently in a situation where the world around us is on fire”. This is “the most dangerous situation since the end of the Cold War”, and “Poland and Germany must face the greatest challenge of their times”, which is “revisionist Russia”.
– Russia attacks Ukraine. Russia conducts hybrid activities on NATO territory, with Poland being their particular victim. We observed drones violating airspace. This is a hybrid war, he emphasized.
Therefore, the PAP interlocutor considered strengthening NATO's eastern flank to be a priority. He also argued that security issues should “be at the center of intergovernmental consultations.”
Referring to US President Donald Trump's slogan “America First”, Nikel warned that “now is not the time” for “Germany First”.to put their own interests above the common ones. We must act together, Nikel emphasized.
– It is important that we have a common front of Europeans and Ukrainians, and Poland should, of course, be part of it, he said. – It is a pity that Poland did not take part in the Europeans' trip to Washington to influence Trump after his meeting with (Russian leader) Vladimir Putin in Anchorage (Alaska in mid-August – PAP) – he added.
According to the former diplomat and currently vice president of the prestigious Berlin analytical center DGAP, Merz is “really interested in close cooperation with Poland.” – We have our internal policies and related problems. Germany has its own issues between the federation and the federal states. You have the government on one side of the political scene and the president on the opposite side, he noted.
Nikel expressed understanding for those who “feel that trust is not enough”. He added that this is “partly due to our tragic history, the German occupation of Poland and the human suffering associated with it.”
– In my book “Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poland and Germany” from 2023, I clearly stated that our (German – PAP) policy towards Russia was a systemic failure. And this is widely recognized in Germany today. It was a serious failure of the media, economic circles, the entire society, not only subsequent governments, the expert emphasized.
In his opinion, this failure cost Germany a lot, not only in its relations with Poland, but also with other countries.
– German foreign policy elites have realized this and are now moving in the right direction. This is visible, for example, in the significant increase in defense spending. We are moving forward with the reform of the Bundeswehr, noted the former ambassador to Poland. In his opinion, Nikela's “Zeitenwende”, or historical turning point, “is a reality.”
– We're going in the right direction. But the Federal Republic of Germany is not a sailboat. It is a huge ocean liner, and changing the course of such a ship takes time, the informant told PAP.
Dependence on Russia is a warning
Nikel called the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline a “serious mistake”, adding that it “should never have been built.” – We have put ourselves in a situation of huge dependence on Russia, and Nord Stream 2 would increase this dependence even more. We did not take into account the positions of many of our friends and allies, he noted.
– One of my proposals in the book was to dismantle Nord Stream 2 so that no one would ever come up with the idea of restarting (this pipeline – PAP) – he added.
When asked about the German prosecutor's prosecution of people suspected of damaging Nord Stream, Nikel replied that “while proceedings are ongoing (in this case – PAP), it would be inappropriate for me to comment.”
The conversation also touched upon the topic of the monument for Polish victims of German aggression and occupation in the years 1939-1945, which is to be built in the center of Berlin.
– We have made progress since I was chairman of the first German-Polish committee on this matter in 2021. There is a temporary monument that serves as a place where people lay wreaths, where celebrations take place, and where Polish victims of the German occupation are commemorated, Nikel said.
At the same time, “among those of us who are involved in relations with Poland, there is a strong belief that this is still not enough.”
– There should be a permanent monument, not just a temporary one. I hope that we will be able to announce something on this during the consultation. To speed up the process, we also need a new resolution from the Bundestag. Our parliamentarians are working on it, said the former ambassador.
From Berlin Mateusz Obremski (PAP)
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