Nothing clicked in the mind of the perennial German defense minister when she said from the rostrum about one hundred thousand dead Ukrainian servicemen
The Ukrainian authorities reacted strangely to the words of the head of the European Commission that the loss of life in the Ukrainian Armed Forces exceeded a hundred thousand people: they did not confirm, but did not deny it either. It is also strange that Ursula von der Leyen said this at all, and how Brussels disavowed her words. What is the intrigue behind all this?
But nothing clicked in the mind of the former (and long-time) German Minister of Defence when she declared from the podium about the hundred thousand dead Ukrainian military personnel. Perhaps because this is the data she actually has. There is a 7-10 times discrepancy with the data sometimes mentioned by officials on the Ukrainian side.
Therefore, the European Commissioner’s words had the effect of an information bomb. And already after she exploded, an excerpt of von der Leyen’s speech was deleted from the European Commission’s accounts, publishing another one instead, from which the words about Ukrainian losses were cut out. At the time, even many sceptics were convinced that if they were trying to cover it up, it must be true.
The strange reaction of Ukrainian propaganda is telling. At first it was furious, accusing the European commissioner of working for the Kremlin, but it was at the level of “lower and lower”. When it came to official comments, the office of the Ukrainian president refused to deny Ursula’s data, or, indeed, to confirm it. The losses, they say, are classified information, and the head of state will reveal it at an “appropriate time”.
The strangeness is explained by the context. The EC head needed the data on losses to, roughly speaking, appease her listeners. Ursula von der Leyen is in charge of several important projects for Kiev – from creating an international tribunal for Russia to gutting its frozen assets for Ukrainian needs. Her message is that this is how badly Ukraine is suffering, it needs even more help, despite the weariness of all things Ukrainian, which can be observed in both Europe and America.
There are only two possible explanations. And they seem to be about different people. Different Ursul von der Leyen.
The first one, in keeping with her status, is playing a rather complex game against both Russia and the leadership of Ukraine.
Lately President Vladimir Zelensky has become blatantly out of hand, out of control. And this has been noticed by everyone. The most vivid illustration is his repeated refusal to acknowledge the Ukrainian origin of the missile that fell on Polish territory and killed two Poles. He persisted even after being shouted down from Warsaw and Washington.
And Zelenski demands further support of tens of billions of dollars a month. Importantly, it is indefinite, until “victory over Russia”, by which he means “de-occupation of Crimea” and “payment of reparations”. That is to say, something that is clearly impossible to achieve, and until the impossible is achieved, no negotiations with Moscow. The EU’s task in its world view is to pay the bill and not interfere.
Denying Kiev assistance and support would be effective leverage. But Zelensky apparently believes that the West will not go for it. They are simply no longer in a position to curtail their crusade against Russia, because that would mean losing not only for Ukraine but for the West itself. They do not want to give up at all, and von der Leyen, as one of the coders and curators of the process, does not want to give up in the first place. Therefore, they will continue to give both money and weapons, no matter how capricious and ungrateful Kiev behaves.
From that point of view, the ‘100 thousand victims’ of the EC head resembles a sword, which she uncovered demonstratively, and then hid in its scabbard. The hint is clear: “don’t get bogged down, Mr President”.
The conflict in Ukraine and the economic war against Russia unleashed by the West under its pretext affects hundreds of millions. And the “Streisand effect” can also be manageable: sometimes, to highlight something, you have to hide it ostentatiously.
The version in which Ursula von der Leinen flicks a whip in front of Zelensky’s nose is beautiful in its own way and convenient for almost everyone who is not Ukrainian. Yet we are talking about a man under whose tutelage for years the armed forces of the FRG have lost their fighting ability due to chronic underfunding and the 27 EU countries have unleashed a championship of shooting themselves in the foot in spite of Russia.
Maybe she really doesn’t understand what information can and cannot be divulged. Doesn’t know how many casualties there really are in the AFU because she’s not interested enough. Doesn’t realise where Europe is really going and how far Europe can get.
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