Zeitenwende: German Foreign Policy Change in the Wake of Russia's War Against Ukraine

[journal article]

Abstract

Russia's war against Ukraine has severely damaged the European security architecture. This article examines the consequences of this rupture for German foreign and security policy. Just a few months before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany saw the transition to an unprecedented three-... view more

Russia's war against Ukraine has severely damaged the European security architecture. This article examines the consequences of this rupture for German foreign and security policy. Just a few months before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany saw the transition to an unprecedented three-party coalition government of Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals. In a special address to the Bundestag three days after the invasion, Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Russia's war initiation as a historical Zeitenwende ("watershed") that called into question long-held beliefs about European security. In the wake of this, Scholz proclaimed far-reaching changes, including the announcement that military expenditure would be drastically increased, additional military capabilities would be procured, and new deployments would be committed to NATO's eastern flank. This article argues that the Zeitenwende amounts to an international orientation change in German foreign and security policy. Apart from identifying areas of significant change, the article also documents political contestation over the Zeitenwende's nature and extent as well as gaps between proclaimed changes and actual implementation.... view less

Keywords
Federal Republic of Germany; foreign policy; political change; international security; party politics; security policy; Russia; war of aggression

Classification
Peace and Conflict Research, International Conflicts, Security Policy
International Relations, International Politics, Foreign Affairs, Development Policy

Free Keywords
arms exports; defense procurement; foreign policy change; political contestation

Document language
English

Publication Year
2024

Journal
Politics and Governance, 12 (2024)

Issue topic
From Kabul to Kyiv: The Crisis of Liberal Interventionism and the Return of War

ISSN
2183-2463

Status
Published Version; peer reviewed

Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0