Former German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger says Western leaders should be making more threats and be willing to follow them through.

The West should spend less time fretting about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s red lines and set its own, says veteran German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger.

“Russia keeps saying, if you do this, if you cross this or that red line, we might escalate,” said the 78-year-old onetime chairman of the Munich Security Conference. “Why don’t we turn this thing around and say to them: ‘We have lines and if you bomb one more civilian building, then you shouldn’t be surprised if, say, we deliver Taurus cruise missiles or America allows Ukraine to strike military targets inside Russia’?”

That way the onus will be on Moscow to decide whether to cross the red lines — or face the consequences.

  • kubica
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    172 months ago

    I’m not sure that is as useful as it sounds. Yes you are trying to establish some pressure but then you might get lost on technicalities of their actions instead of focusing on the bigger picture.

    • @[email protected]
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      182 months ago

      There’s no “might”. The US set a red line of an invasion in Rafah. Israel rolled right over that line with tanks and airstrikes. Nothing happened.

      • snooggums
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        52 months ago

        Something did happen though, the US gave even more aid and support to Israel.

      • @[email protected]
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        42 months ago

        Yes, but Russia doesn’t have nuclear weap… I mean, Russia doesn’t control Congr… Totally different situation ok!