German navy chief vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach resigns over ‘Putin deserves respect’ remark
German naval chief, vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach has resigned over comments on Ukraine and Russia he made during his visit to India.
His resignation on late Saturday night was accepted by Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht. Lambrecht has appointed his deputy as interim naval chief.
Speaking at an event in India on Friday, vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach had said Ukraine would not regain the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
During his interaction on January 21 at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, a military think tank in Delhi, Schonbach had said the idea that Moscow wanted to invade Kiev was “nonsense”, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved respect.
“Does Russia really want a small and tiny strip of Ukraine soil to integrate into their country? No, this is nonsense. Putin is probably putting pressure because can do it and he splits EU opinion. What he really wants is respect.”
Speaking about Putin, the German naval chief had also said: “He wants high-level respect and my God giving some respect is low cost, even no cost. If I was asked, it is easy to give him the respect he really demands and probably also deserves. Russia is an old country, Russia is an important country. Even we India, Germany, need Russia. We need Russia against China”
Talking about Ukraine’s possible admission into NATO, Schonbach had said: “Ukraine of course cannot meet the requirements because it’s occupied in the Donbas region by the Russian Army or by what they call as militias.”
His comments, captured on video, caused outrage in Ukraine and a ripple effect in Berlin after which he was asked to step down. They also sparked consternation and a swift rebuke back in Berlin.
Schonbach said, “My rash remarks in India… are increasingly putting a strain on my office. I consider this step (the resignation) necessary to avert further damage to the German navy, the German forces, and, in particular, the Federal Republic of Germany.”
[With Inputs from IANS]
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