Defense is a human right

As a company, we have largely refrained from commenting on the Urkaine conflict. In my opinion, Russia's aggression against its smaller neighbor was too obvious. The reaction of the western world to this attack is clear enough. Apparently all parties agreed in condemning this attack and distancing themselves from their own policies of the last 20 years, which favored the current development and made our entire country dependent on a despot for energy policy. I assumed that a far-sighted political development towards a security policy would now begin in which our country and our alliances would achieve the long-needed military and civilian resilience against attacks.

However, it is with dismay that I observe the increasing relativization of these assessments and decisions that were made six months ago and were correct then and now. Far too often, voices from civil society are heard that call for a discontinuation of defense support for the Ukrainian people. They are practically calling on Ukraine to surrender. I don't want to go into the flimsy justifications any further here. Fortunately, in Ukraine we are dealing with a state whose people were able to democratically elect their government. This government, as the representative of the Ukrainian people, alone would be entitled to give up the fight for freedom. As long as that doesn't happen, every resident of a constitutional state should feel obliged to stand by Ukraine. Anyone who has a legitimate fear of a nuclear war caused by Russia should not hide their cowardice behind the excuse that they want to prevent bloodshed in Ukraine. Anyone who is afraid of a loss of prosperity should simply say that the warm bath is more important to them than the freedom of their neighbors, even more important than their own freedom and the freedom of Europe. We have employed some Ukrainian refugees in our company. They are happy and proud that they can indirectly contribute to the defense of their homeland by working on our products. Of course they want peace for their country, just as we all want it. However, they would never agree to surrender.

In fact, our Western values ​​are defended in democratic and sovereign Ukraine. It is irrelevant whether the USA invaded IRAQ in the past in violation of international law; it is irrelevant that Ukraine had problems with corruption or neo-Nazis before Russia's attack. All of these bogus arguments count for nothing against this attack on a sovereign, democratic state that violates international law. Therefore, with our motto “Defense is a human right” we want to clearly point out the right of every person to defend themselves. I don't want to be misunderstood: This doesn't mean that civilians all over the world should arm themselves. The monopoly of violence must always lie with the state. And here a state, a nation, is forced to defend itself alone against an overwhelming aggressor. And Ukraine and its people have every right in the world to this defense.

All Europeans, including us Germans, are happy that there have been no armed conflicts in the EU since its inception and long before that. The freedom of the EU is still being defended in Ukraine, but in contrast to the Hindu Kush, Ukraine is in Europe.

Berlin, August 24, 2022
Dr. Björn Andres (Board of Directors)