Oliver Hermes, chairman of Ost-Ausschuss, the German Business Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, issued an urgent appeal on Feb. 1 to de-escalate the crisis and instead negotiate solutions for the Ukraine problem centered on economic cooperation.
Hermes wrote under the headline “Helsinki 2.0 Instead of War Cries”: “The specter of war is haunting Europe. In numerous media, but also on the part of politicians, a Russian invasion of Ukraine is literally being conjured up and talked about, as if the `hawks’ on all sides had only been waiting for this opportunity for years…. The danger of a massive clash between Russia and NATO is undoubtedly greater these days than it has been for 30 years. A war in Eastern Europe would, in addition to the terrible human suffering, throw our entire continent and with it the European economy back by decades. Therefore, all sides should be keen to de-escalate and cool tempers. Military muscle flexing in Eastern Europe is not effective.
“The economy can also play its part in de-escalation. Business cannot replace politics, but it can use its specific channels of dialogue. The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations is celebrating its 70th birthday this year. Beyond our economic function, we have always seen ourselves as `bridge builders,’ contributing to political and social understanding and reconciliation with a region where Germany caused unimaginable harm in the 20th century. The result of our efforts is close economic relations with Ukraine and Russia that have grown over decades. Reliable business partners have become friends in the process. German companies are responsible for around 280,000 employees in Russia alone. Through their work, they lay the foundation for trust and mutual recognition at all levels — from management positions to employees in plants and offices – on a daily basis. This is the long-standing, hard-earned basis for peaceful and successful cooperation in the future. People, not states, build trust.
“Conversely, anyone who questions economic relations with Russia should consider what opportunities for talks and influence Germany still has without economic relations with Russia. Destroying these bridges altogether would not make our world any safer. Incidentally, the majority of Germans want closer cooperation between the EU and Russia: In a representative Forsa survey commissioned by the Eastern Committee, two out of three Germans (62%) spoke out in favor of more intensive relations between the EU and Russia….