After the great success of the German film “Nothing New in the West” at the Oscars, security expert Christian Mölling warned against deriving simple lessons for the Ukraine conflict from the carnage shown there during World War I. Mölling said on Tuesday in the stern podcast “Ukraine – the situation” that if one concludes the situation in Bachmut in 2023 from the western front in 1917, “then an intermediate step is missing”. Namely, the liberation of Europe from the threat of Nazi rule over the continent in World War II. This liberation was only possible through violence and “killing people”, emphasized the research director of the German Society for Foreign Relations. “It’s a difficult moral choice, but you can’t wipe it away with a simple ‘Never again war means never pick up arms again’.” Mölling argued that overcoming violence in some historical situations requires violence “There is evil, and evil can be fought,” he said, referring to the theologian and resistance fighter Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Mölling advised reading Erich Maria Remarque’s book rather than watching the film, “regardless of how many Oscars it has won”. In total, director Edward Berger’s work received four awards, including best foreign film. According to Mölling, while the film mainly shows war scenes, Remarque’s global success demonstrates how radically war changes people. “One is the battle of materials, the other is: What is the battle doing with the people,” he said. What is particularly terrible and tragic about war is that it has had such a long-lasting effect. “We’re talking about a generation or more here.”
Despite these devastating consequences, Mölling campaigned to continue supporting Ukraine in its struggle. But it also makes sense to prepare concepts for later negotiations now, as suggested by former top diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger. “It is important to prepare for many options,” said Mölling. In addition, in view of the deadlocked debates between supporters and opponents of immediate negotiations, it is about “moving forward positively”.
