The Russian president talked about peace and offered Schröder as a mediator. Is this a tactical move? In fact, Putin could end the war tomorrow. He just needs to stop fighting Ukraine. By Dirk Emmerich.
On May 9, Russia celebrates the victory over Hitler and fascism. I remember how in 1967 my father - then a diplomat in Moscow - took me, a little boy, to a parade on Red Square, where I felt an atmosphere of great solemnity. The country was proud of having survived and won the Great Patriotic War.
My father then explained to me the difference with Germany, where the Day of Liberation from National Socialism is celebrated on May 8. It is due to the fact that the Treaty of Unconditional Surrender of the Hitlerites was signed in Berlin late in the evening, when it was already the next day in Moscow.
The fact that in 1985 the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker characterized this day as "liberation from the inhumane system of National Socialist tyranny" is today an integral part of German self-consciousness. I was born only a few years later, but I don't know what would have happened to me if that May 8, 1945, had not happened.
Russia and Germany have come a long way towards reconciliation. One of the culminating moments for me personally happened in 2015 - on the 70th anniversary of the victory. Then, at the monument to the unknown soldier in Moscow, the German anthem sounded - in the presence of Chancellor Angela Merkel. At that time, I was covering the event as a media correspondent. In 1967, such a signal would still have been completely unthinkable.
Between historical memory and the war in Ukraine
Since the Russian aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022, May 9 has become a completely different day. Vladimir Putin has decided that Russia is again fighting an existential battle - but this time against NATO and some supposed "Nazis in Kiev". The common understanding of the historical significance of these May days has disappeared. The Kremlin accuses Germany of "unstoppable militarization" and uses narratives such as "a besieged fortress". The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, even attributes to German Chancellor Merz a desire for "historical revenge". The issue is no longer about historical memory, but about the interpretation of the war in Ukraine.
Today, Germans and Russians look at history in a completely different way. For Putin, May 9 remains, according to old tradition, a day for demonstrating strength. But this year, the parade on Red Square sent a signal of weakness. Due to fears of possible attacks by Ukrainian drones, no heavy military equipment was displayed, only fighter jets flying overhead, which painted the sky in the colors of the Russian flag.
Despite the truce agreed between Moscow and Kiev, mobile Internet in the Russian capital remained blocked, and security measures were unusually strict. The awareness is gradually making its way among the population that things are not going as well as the Kremlin claims.
Gerhard Schröder as a mediator?
And at a press conference held on the evening of May 9, the Russian leader uttered some very unusual words: "I think things are coming to an end, but this is still a serious issue", said the Russian leader regarding the war in Ukraine. It became clear that if a long-term peace agreement were concluded, Putin would be ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also added that he would like former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to act as a mediator.
Is Putin looking for a strategy for exiting the war? Even in the Russian state media, this statement of his became the leading news. However, if we consider Putin's words in the context of the entire press conference, we will see that skepticism remains completely justified. In response to other journalistic questions, Putin in no way demonstrates a willingness to compromise. Yes, he may want peace, but only on his own terms.
Putin could end the war tomorrow
In that case, could Germany now take on the role of mediator, with the participation of Gerhard Schröder, who has provoked very contradictory assessments among many Germans in recent years? Such a thing would also require a decision agreed upon at the European level. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, has already rejected this possibility.
Only Putin knows whether he is now really striving for peace talks, after having deceived himself for many years that he was ready for such a thing. However, one of the key conclusions remains unchanged: Putin could end the war tomorrow - he just needs to stop waging it. May 9, 2026 had little to do with the original meaning of this historical date, but perhaps it will still remain in people's memory.
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Dirk Emmerich, a correspondent for the German television channels n-tv and RTL, has lived and worked in Moscow and Washington for many years. He was also a correspondent for n-tv in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries engulfed in military conflicts.
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This text expresses the author's opinion and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and DW as a whole.