Euro Notes: German Ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder Comments on Russia and Georgia

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder recently gave an interview with Der Spiegel and reminded me why I was more or less happy to say "Auf Wiedersehen, Gerhard!" when he retired in 2005.

Here is bit of it, complete with not-so-veiled hints of "It's America's fault,"a refusal to lay any responsibility at the feet of Putin's revanchist Russia, misplaced support of the Sarkozy plan that Russia's already flouted, and a belief in the EU project at any cost. Do notice that Gerhard even finds time to praise Russia for ratifying Kyoto while slamming the US for not doing the same (hey, who cares if Russia's raining disproportionate hell on Georgia? Moscow cares about carbon emissions! But wait! What's the carbon cost of invading Georgia, Gerhard?) . But all these little details are nothing compared to Schröder's real whopper of a statement at the end of the selection. Oh, dear.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Schröder, who is at fault for the Caucasus war?

Gerhard Schröder: The hostilities undoubtedly have their historic causes, as well, and the conflict has had several historic precursors. But the moment that triggered the current armed hostilities was the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia. This should not be glossed over.

SPIEGEL: You see no partial fault on Moscow's part, no lack of proportionality in the actions of the Russian military?

Schröder: That is something I cannot and do not wish to judge. But we know, of course, that military conflicts develop their own dynamics. The crucial issue now is that all parties involved will take advantage of the French president's six-point plan.

SPIEGEL: Do you believe that the American military advisors stationed in Tbilisi encouraged Georgia to launch its attack?

Schröder: I wouldn't go that far. But everyone knows that these US military advisors in Georgia exist -- a deployment that I've never considered particularly intelligent. And it would have been strange if these experts had not had any information. Either they were extremely unprofessional or they were truly fooled, which is hard to imagine.

. . .

SPIEGEL: With all due respect to cool-headed realpolitik: Don't we have to draw a red line now, one that Moscow cannot cross if it wants to continue playing a role in international institutions and as a partner of the West? Immediate withdrawal of all troops from Georgia, for example, and recognition of its territorial integrity, as US Secretary of State Rice has vehemently demanded?

Schröder: I do not believe that Russia is pursuing a policy of annexation. And I also do not believe that there can be a return to the status quo ante in South Ossetia or Abkhazia. It's out of the question. In my opinion, this has less to do with supposed Russian expansionist interests than with the wishes of the civilian population.

Does he really think that Russia's not interested in annexing South Ossetia? The Russia foreign minister has already famously declared that Georgia can forget about territorial integrity and keeping its breakway provinces. And why does dear Gerhard sound less like an impartial observer-analyst and more of an apologist for the Kremlin? *cough* Gazprom! *cough*

Meanwhile, the current German chancellor's approach to the Caucasus crisis is slightly different from Gerhard's vision.