Former Federal Minister and Chairman of the Atlantic Bridge
Vladimir Putin's goal is the return of Russia as a superpower. The Russian president wants to reverse a trend in which Russia has steadily lost influence in Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The political leadership in Beijing, especially with regard to China's claim to Taiwan, will carefully study whether and for how long Europe and the US will stand together, or whether cracks in this unity may begin to form at some point.
Europe and the West have to watch helplessly as Russian President Vladimir Putin breaks the peace in Europe and overwhelms Ukraine with military force. War in the heart of Europe? Who could have imagined that just a few months ago?