How long will we allow ourselves to be deceived? This was asked by German military expert Nico Lange on the MUT-Talk show, sharply criticizing Western countries for their lack of reaction to Vladimir Putin's lies and Moscow's ongoing hybrid war against the West.
Nico Lange said that the ceasefire announced by the Russian president for just a few days around May 9 (and the military parade in Moscow) is just propaganda, a delusion, which Western countries have grasped at like a straw.
“The West must stop celebrating every false signal as progress and finally take action“, said the military expert, quoted by focus.de.
A central point in his analysis is Vladimir Putin's manipulative communication strategy, which the West has repeatedly and voluntarily adopted. Lange emphasizes: “The facts are that Ukraine is ready to conclude an unconditional ceasefire for more than 50 days, but Putin is not doing so“. Lange sees the Kremlin's repeated offers, such as the recent ceasefire for the Victory Day parade, as a transparent attempt at deception.
Lange is sharply critical of the Western reaction to this repeated tactic. He finds it inexplicable how carelessly Russian propaganda is spread without questioning the true intentions behind it. "When are we actually going to take a firm stand on this issue?" the German expert asked.
Lange calls for a decisive stance against Putin's disinformation strategy. He points out that the Russians want all their absurd conditions to be met (which would mean Ukraine's surrender) before a ceasefire can be considered. And despite these clear facts, many in the Western world still seem to pin their hopes on the Russian president, as if he is genuinely interested in peace.
According to Lange, Putin is taking advantage of the fact that the West wants peace, but the hope that the conflict will resolve itself is false. Lange's call is clear: Europe must finally take responsibility and take a firm stand to resist geopolitical pressure and ensure peace.
“We need to focus less on Trump and more on ourselves“, Lange added. He sees parallels between Trump and Putin: both have an authoritarian understanding of power and prefer to act on a personal rather than an institutional level. But it is this similarity that hinders their dialogue “Putin cannot accept that the American president is his boss. And Trump simply cannot accept that Putin is his boss.“
Instead of continuing to get lost in debates about Trump's or Putin's intentions, Lange calls on Europe to take strategic and practical action - especially in security and defense policy. The war in Ukraine is not an insurmountable task: “It is easier than you think”, says Lange. A clear signal is needed to Putin: we will always produce more than you and give everything to Ukraine; you have no chance of achieving what you want“.
Niko Lange points out that Putin does not hide what he wants. He wants complete control over Ukraine. But this is only one step - one step towards a different order in Europe. This order means less democracy, less individual freedom, fewer rights for individuals. Europe must therefore recognize that its own security is directly linked to that of Ukraine.