Der lange Weg zum Krieg

The war in Ukraine has been raging since February 2022, with no end in sight - on the contrary: armaments are being built up instead of disarmed, shooting instead of negotiating. Günter Verheugen and Petra Erler, two recognised foreign policy experts, take a stand for the first time - and they present a brilliant indictment: Without the failure of German and EU foreign policy, this devastating escalation would not have happened.

In their intelligent and incisive analysis of the history leading up to the war in Ukraine, it becomes clear how the axe has been laid to the roots of the uniquely successful policy of détente since the early 1990s. Step by step, confrontation and the quest for power have replaced understanding, a new Cold War has been consciously accepted, as has the risk of a "hot war" that could turn into a conflagration at any time. But there are solutions. In a passionate plea, the authors demand: We urgently need to return to a willingness to engage in dialogue, confidence-building measures, a new policy of détente!