The central conflict in the 21st century will be between the United States and China, Germany's future ambassador to Russia, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, said in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
“For us Germans, we must be clear that we are not a small player on the global stage, but we are not a superpower either. The central conflict of the 21st century will develop between the United States and China. We must know which side we are on,” the diplomat told the German newspaper.
“We as Europeans will need to strengthen and stand by our democratic partners. Protecting freedom is of utmost importance to me as a liberal. In the current military situation, we see the importance of transatlantic cooperation,” Mr. Lambsdorff noted.
Germany is “somewhat too dependent” on China in some key areas, Mr Lambsdorff said. “This concerns the purchase of raw materials and basic goods, as well as the sale of products by certain companies.”
No one can force German companies to gradually close down their business in China, but they should be aware that the Chinese market could be closed to them and their existence could be in danger in the event of a major conflict between the US and China, Mr. Lambsdorff added.
New German Ambassador to Russia, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff. Photo: Hungary Postsen
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the new German Ambassador to Russia said he sees little chance of ending the war by diplomatic means.
“At the moment, both sides, Ukraine and Russia, are looking for their own advantage on the battlefield. As long as that is the case, diplomacy will remain in the background,” Mr Lambsdorff told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
“But diplomacy must start with a solid perspective. As the Federal Republic of Germany, we have made a clear decision that we will stand by an attacked country as part of the EU and NATO,” Mr Lambsdorff said, adding that he would convey this view diplomatically but clearly to his counterparts in Moscow.
The German government announced on June 21 the appointment of Mr. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, 56 years old, as the country's new Ambassador to Moscow after receiving approval from the Russian government .
Mr. Lambsdorff will take up his post this summer, replacing Mr. Geza Andreas von Geyr, who has served as German Ambassador to Russia since 2019.
Mr. Lambsdorff comes from an aristocratic family. Furthermore, his uncle, Otto Graf Lambsdorff, was a long-serving Minister and seasoned politician in the 1970s and 1980s.
Like his uncle, Mr. Lambsdorff is also a member and leading figure in the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). Mr. Lambsdorff is currently a member of the Bundestag (German parliament), where he serves as Vice Chairman of the FDP Parliamentary Group.
The veteran politician has held several posts in the German Foreign Ministry, including serving in the press section at the German Embassy in Washington DC (USA) and becoming a member of the European Parliament.
From 2003-2004, Mr. Lambsdorff was an expert on Russian affairs at the German Foreign Ministry.
Leading Germany's diplomatic mission in Russia has become one of its thorniest tasks since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine last February.
Earlier this year, Russia expelled several German diplomats, saying the move was in response to a similar move from Berlin .
Minh Duc (According to TASS, DW, ZDF)
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