The German government is about to publish a new edition of the ‘White Paper’, which is one of the documents that determines the national security policy. One of the key changes that Russia is considered no longer a ‘partner’ but a ‘rival’.
The new ‘White Paper’ was prepared mainly by the Germany’s Ministry of Defense. After that the 80-page document was corrected by other government structures.
According to the authors, Russia is pursuing an aggressive policy with no boundaries between war and peace. "Moscow promotes its own interests in violent ways and changes the boundaries guaranteed by the international law without permission. Therefore, it is a threat to the world order in Europe, which was formed after the end of the Cold War,’’ Die Welt cites the text of the document.
In addition, German experts insist that Russia "is turning away from the West, strengthening its strategic competition and reinforcing its military activities at the borders of the European Union."
According to the authors of the ‘White Paper’, one of the methods that the Kremlin uses to pursue its policies is by "using digital communications in order to influence public opinion: from informal control over discussions in social networks to manipulation of information in mass media."
Germany’s Defense Ministry considers that the current foreign policy of Russia may be a potential threat to the German society and the country. That is why if Moscow does not change the fundamental policy of Russia ‘‘it will become a challenge for our security on the continent in the near future,’’ officials in Berlin stated.
It is expected that the new ‘White Paper’ will be presented to the Cabinet before summer holidays. It is worth noting that in addition to Russia the document contains 10 threats. International terrorism, radical nationalism, migration issues and the risk of epidemics due to population growth are among them, the newspaper informs.
Igor Morozov, the member of the Federation Council's International Affairs committee commented on the fact that Germany has excluded Russia from their ‘partners’ and put it in the ‘rivals’ category, saying that the ‘White Paper’ is just one of the viewpoints of the German establishment. It is not even a document. It is thoughts about what is going on with the foreign policy of Germany.
At the same time, the first deputy head of the defense committee of the Federation Council, Yevgeny Serebrennikov, urged to take into account the fact that the document is not an opinion of the German people. It is an attempt by the anti-Russian part of the German society to keep in line with the general NATO policy.
