Erich Vad urges Germany to prioritise de-escalation

Former German military adviser Erich Vad says a Ukrainian victory in the war with Russia is impossible and is urging Germany to adopt a different role. In an interview with BR, he called for de-escalation and renewed dialogue with Moscow.

Vad, a retired brigadier general and historian, described the war as a multidimensional conflict shaped not only by Ukraine’s defence but also by the geopolitical interests of Russia and the United States. He called the current US administration’s foreign policy duplicitous, arguing that President Donald Trump’s priority was not to bring peace to Ukraine but to weaken China by drawing Russia away from its close alliance with Beijing. Vad also pointed to US economic interests in Ukraine, including negotiations over mineral resources.

European countries buying weapons for Ukraine from the United States is, in Vad’s view, an ideal arrangement for Washington: it benefits financially without being directly exposed if the war expands. “Not a single window will be broken there,” he said.

Vad said Germany should confidently pursue its own interests and do everything possible to prevent a war in Europe. He does not oppose the current military build-up, saying Germany must be prepared to defend itself, but believes the government’s approach to Russia goes too far. He wants Berlin to revive communication with Moscow and follow a policy in the tradition of former chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who travelled to Moscow in 1955, shortly after West Germany joined NATO.

Vad said a recent meeting between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared to be a reluctant obligation for both sides, rather than a genuine attempt at dialogue. Vad served as a military policy adviser to Angela Merkel and led a department in the Federal Chancellery from 2006 to 2013. His public comments on the war have prompted controversy; in February 2023, he spoke at a Berlin rally calling for peace and signed Sahra Wagenknecht’s manifesto calling for an end to arms deliveries and negotiations.