Cornelius Adebahr is a Non-Resident Fellow of Carnegie Europe.
Germany’s willingness to respond to Russia’s war with Ukraine was welcomed Zeitenwende — A “historic turning point” where you can see the country abandoning its antimilitarist position since the end of World War II. The question is, what is the country going for instead?
Is the point of Germany the revival of “Realpolitik” or the New Cold War? Both are wrong. Instead, the country’s path to progress can be found in the coalition treaty signed last year, which the government committed to what it described as “feminist foreign policy.”
Despite its name, feminist foreign policy is not primarily about women’s progress. It’s about a radically different international approach. In short, it puts the needs of all people first — and not just the most noisy or the most powerful. It’s about human rights and conflict prevention, economic development and social participation, just as it is about health and the environment.
In addition to immediate support for Ukraine and pressure on the Kremlin to end the war, Germany needs a foreign policy aimed at long-term goals, which is exactly what feminist foreign policy entails. ..
Such a policy approach reflects many elements of the concept of “human security” created by the United Nations, which focuses on the protection of individuals in human dignity rather than the traditional protection of the state. increase. Second, the feminist approach requires equal participation in all groups left behind, including ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and age.
This may be new in Germany, but not new to the world. The Swedish government has been a pioneer in feminist foreign policy since 2014, with Canada, France and Mexico following at least in certain policy areas such as “feminist foreign policy”. Other countries, such as Denmark and Spain, are also pursuing a gender-friendly approach to foreign policy, and the European Parliament has adopted a response initiative at the end of 2020.
The war at the doorstep of Europe may lead those to ask what this feminist approach can do to counter the current Russian aggression. However, such questions do not capture the nature of an approach that is a bit like a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet, good physical activity, and good sleep are the foundations of longevity. However, even in the case of illness, accident, or intentional injury, emergency treatment is required.
In the current situation Ukraine Must Protect yourself.That’s why it’s up to Germany and all other countries to ensure that. can Do so. This support is mandated by the Charter of the United Nations as part of international law.
However, such necessary actions must also take into account the impact on people themselves, whether in Ukraine, Russia, or elsewhere. This means, for example, using economic sanctions in a targeted manner and quickly and effectively withdrawing sanctions in exchange for the corresponding political concessions. Moreover, despite the exceptions currently made to Ukraine, Germany’s principle ban on arms exports to conflict areas should be maintained.
In addition, diplomatic attempts made to avoid the war before the invasion continued. If the war does not end with the annihilation of one party, then even if it is painful in terms of how the war began, we must ultimately compromise on European security issues. prize. The guidelines for detent policy in the 1980s, such as traditional arms control, restrictions on nuclear weapons, and confidence-building measures, are once again in the spotlight.
The war in Ukraine should not be the secret of death in the German feminist approach — far from it. In particular, we now need to lay the groundwork by drafting Germany’s first national security strategy, a process recently initiated by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Fighting law reform and corruption, and investing in education, environmental protection and active civil society.
Because Ukrainians have an overwhelmingly strong desire to belong to the Revolution and the European Union, their country, which boasts a multi-layered and vibrant society, is worth seeing not only with a strategic lens but also with a human-centered focus. there is. This is the turning point that Germany and other European countries really need.
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