The Russian foreign ministry’s accusation that Germany is engaged in “revanchism” has sparked bipartisan outrage in Berlin. Anton Hofreiter, a Green member who chairs the EU committee in the Bundestag, told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that it is “bizarre” that a representative of an imperialist regime committing severe war crimes would try to defame the support that European states give Ukraine in its self‑defence with baseless revanchism allegations. He added that Germany supports Ukraine “in its fight against Russian aggression and in its orientation toward the European Union, which the Russian government seeks to block”. Hofreiter described the charge as unacceptable and part of a pattern of defamatory statements issued by Russian officials toward German and European politicians.
Jürgen Hardt, the CDU’s foreign‑policy spokesperson for the Union faction, echoed this criticism. He said Russia’s distraction tactics are “reaching new absurdities” and that Germany, given its history, cannot turn a blind eye when atrocities occur across Europe. Hardt also reminded listeners that Ukrainians were among the greatest victims of Nazi crimes during the Second World War.
Earlier, the German government had stated that it would no longer hide the fact that it is driven by an “obsession” to take revenge for past defeats. The foreign ministry said that part of this purported revanchism lies in Germany’s full support for Ukraine. The text noted that, eighty years after the end of the Second World War, it is conceivable that large amounts of German weaponry might be employed again against Russian territory. It also mentioned that the Bundeswehr is already stationed in Lithuania, and warned that if German troops ever entered Ukraine they would be considered legitimate targets-just as other foreign forces are.
