“Justified concerns”

Dr. Tauber, following the 2016 general meeting of Deutsch-Litauisches Forum Gernot Erler, the German Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Eastern Partnership Countries, spoke on the topic “Russia and the West: From alienation to the European peace order under threat”. Why is this topic particularly important for German-Lithuanian relations?

The return to Europe, which Lithuania experienced after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, is being thrown starkly into question by the current political course taken by Russian President Putin, for instance in the Ukraine crisis. There are justified deliberations in the Baltic States on the extent to which European security structures can take effect in order to prevent Russia taking a similar approach as it has in Ukraine. Against this background it was important to me to invite Mr. Erler to the lecture. It is very important for Lithuania how far the European orientation shared by the majority of its population and its values are supported by concrete security policy: There must be no second-class security orders within the European Union.

So the European Union has a special responsibility towards Lithuania as a member state?

Yes, and Mr. Erler left no doubt about that in his lecture. He made it clear that precisely the leading European states of Germany and France must always keep in mind that with a view to Russia the east European countries face other threats entirely. Germany’s decision to take part in the 2017 NATO deployment in Lithuania and to lead a battalion of troops drawn from our European allies is thus all the more important – even if it is first and foremost a symbolic gesture. Mr. Erler also emphasized that conflicts with Russia can only be solved in the context of a political process.

Can Russia also be a partner for Lithuania?

Of course there are many people in Lithuania who say that we cannot cut ourselves off from our neighbour Russia and that openness is important. However, it must be clear that Russia shall not interfere in Lithuania’s internal affairs. The problem of the Russian media campaign, which we also observe in Germany and Western Europe, is far more widespread in the Baltic States. Lots of Lithuanians watch Russian television and consequently often see propaganda dished up as entertainment, in attractive formats such as series, for example. The Deutsch-Litauisches Forum aims to counteract this propaganda with its work. At the same time we want to generate more understanding in Germany too that Lithuanian concerns are justified given current Russian policy.