The constant threat to the eastern borders of the West, with consequences that will entail a second cold war, “sees” the next day of the Ukrainian crisis former Vice Chancellor of Germany Joska Fischer. Speaking to K on the sidelines of the Economist conference in Nicosia, the former Foreign Minister of the Schroeder government believes that Putin cannot win in Ukraine, but is not yet ready to negotiate. “Let’s not overestimate Erdogan,” he characteristically answers a question about Greek-Turkish relations, calling on the EU and NATO in any case to reduce tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“We don’t know yet what the outcome might be, but I believe that Putin will not win this war. Ukraine is fighting very bravely for its national existence and, in my opinion, Russia will not be able to try to blackmail the West to stop the supply of weapons. And Europe cannot be blackmailed by Putin’s nuclear threats. It is too early to say whether the Russian side has begun preparations for meaningful negotiations. We are certainly not there anyway. This case will drag on for a long time.

– Ukraine certainly needs a peace agreement as well. But it’s mostly down to Putin, who should simply pull Russian troops out of Ukraine, accepting international borders that Russia itself guarantees – and that’s the irony of fate. But the time has not yet come. As long as the war continues.

Trust in Russia was lost. There will be a constant threat on the eastern borders of NATO and the EU. The consequences will mean a new cold war.

In any case, trust in Russia has been lost. There will be a constant threat on the eastern borders of NATO and the EU. The consequences, unfortunately, will mean a new cold war. In Europe, we must invest more in our deterrence and our ability to defend ourselves. In any case, this situation will be more of a European problem.

– You are talking to a man who has always been critical of these issues. I’ve always said that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. This is unreasonable. Since then, Europe has made great strides in recent months in reducing its energy dependency and diversifying its sources. There remains the question of prices, which, however, are now beginning to level off, which is a good sign. I believe that in the coming years we will provide more new sources of energy, and in my opinion, the main mechanism should be renewable energy, a fact from which Greece should also benefit due to its climatic conditions. In any case, we cannot return to dependence on Russia. This case is over.

– First of all, let’s clarify that Erdogan’s power cannot be compared with Putin’s power. In general, Erdogan should not be overestimated. His goal every time is to bring Turkey to the table of big players. But that won’t happen. On the one hand, Turkey is a link between Europe and the Middle East. On the other hand, he is a player with limited power. We just need smart Western diplomacy with Erdogan. Our relations with Turkey have always been a difficult experience. In some periods things were better, in others worse. Turkey will be there whether we like it or not. We must do our best, Europeans with our American friends, to calm the situation in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, which is a sensitive and strategic area. We must reduce tensions and reach agreements. We also need the United States for this, which also has relevant interests in the region.

I understand the problems of Greece. In the old days, when I was in the German government, Greece’s relations with Turkey were much better than they are today. I understand the reasons. But we must do our best to reduce tensions. However, if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, it will be bad news for the Aegean, as it will serve as an example for others to follow this path.