NEW DELHI: As Germany begins to reduce its dependence of oil from Russia, it also hopes that people realise how important it is to sanction Russia as it’s the only way to prevent other aggressors to stay at bay.“It is important for everyone to realise that there is a danger in principle in allowing an aggressor to violate the integrity of another nation. Many countries who have border disputes would then be at risk as it could encourage the aggressor,’’ said Walter J Lindner, the German ambassador to India. Linder is due to retire in one month, and he shared varied views, ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to his love for India.
Sanctions are the only way to prevent an aggressor from advancing. Lindner said that declaring war on an erring country isn’t the solution but sanctions can be a deterrent.“Over 10,000 soldiers have lost their lives, more than 5,000 civilians are dead, and there are over 8 million refugees,’’ Linder said, adding that every country has its own history, alliances, and neighbourhood.
“We understand India’s position and never pressurised them on that front,’’ he said. He stated that while culturally, German and Russia used to be similar, the conflict has changed everything.“Today, every other person you see in Berlin is a refugee from Ukraine. We have stopped buying coal from Russia and by August we would end our oil imports too. Gas imports take time to reduce as there is an entire infrastructure that is built around supplying it,’’ Lindner added.