Nils Schmid: Crisis on EU borders can not be solved by military means

Conflicts on the periphery of the European continent can be solved only by a package of measures aimed at invoking the civilian component and subject to a consolidated position of the entire European Union. This was stated by a Member of the German Bundestag, the foreign policy spokesman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Mr. Nils Schmid at the 12th Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

He noted that the current crisis can not solve by any of the country alone.

“Of course, Europe’s security policy should be based on military capabilities, and they should be expanded. But let's look at the conflicts in Mali and Afghanistan, - we cannot solve them by military means in any way. The servicemen will be the first to support us in this because military measures should be supported by institutional potential and powerful civil efforts. This should become a key element of European security policy," Mr. Nils Schmid said.

The EU policy on Russia's aggression against Ukraine was correct, German politician believes.

“We have maintained the EU’s unity on sanctions against Russia, that surprised Putin greatly. Putin seriously miscalculated. He had wanted blitzkrieg. He may have won the Crimea, but lost the war for Ukraine. Regarding Germany, it will stand with Ukraine regardless of the results of the current presidential elections. There is a good relationship between Ms. Merkel and Mr. Poroshenko, which will continue beyond any conditions. Even taking into account the positions of the German left and right, there is still a consensus in supporting Ukraine’s aspirations to join the Euro-Atlantic community", Mr. Nils Schmid said.

According to the MP of the Bundestag, some possible problems with unity within Germany will not undermine consolidation of the entire EU, in particular, in the position regarding Ukraine.

“The German political system is fairly stable compared to other EU members. Most German citizens do not want to vote for "Alternative for Germany" party in any way. But Germany should pay more attention to a number of social and economic problems, such as refugees or affordable housing, that will remove many issues. In turn, this will significantly reduce the prospects for such parties as "Alternative for Germany",” Mr. Nils Schmid concluded.

FOR REFERENCE:
The annual international event Kyiv Security Forum was launched by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation in 2007. Since then, the Forum has become a platform for high-level international discussions on current issues of national security, security issues of the Black Sea region, Europe and the world.