Johannes Regenbrecht

Beijing and Moscow are linked by a strategic partnership and a common adversary, “the West”. Senior Diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht analyzes for us what this alliance is about, what interests Xi Jinping is pursuing in Putin’s large-scale war against Ukraine and what challenges the Russian-Chinese alliance faces from an erratic president in the White House. The US and the European Union must be aware that restric­tions on Ukraine’s sover­eignty will set a signif­icant precedent not only for Europe, but also for the Indo-Pacific region. 

Over the heads of the Europeans, Trump and Putin are currently trying to divide up not only Ukraine, but also the dominance of “Greater Europe” between them. It is high time for the EU to enter the negoti­a­tions force­fully and with a clear concept. Germany must play a prominent role alongside France and Poland as soon as possible, including militarily, demands former German diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht. He analyzes the tradi­tions of thought that guide Trump and Putin and which need to be under­stood in order to decisively oppose their plans. 

Ten years ago, the Minsk Agreement was negotiated and signed to end the war in eastern Ukraine. Just 7 years later, Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht was involved in the negoti­a­tions and analyses what lessons can be learned.