Phil Butler

President Putin's message to the German government and the German people: "We have no desire to attack you. Why would we? Those days are long behind us. Anyone who is thinking clearly can see that. First: Your national debt already stands at €2.5 trillion, and no serious economist seems to know how it will ever be repaid. Now you want to borrow another €1 trillion to build up your military against us. Do you expect the Russian people to shoulder those debts? Absolutely not. Second: Millions of migrants now live in your country, costing tens of billions of euros each year. Why should the Russian people bear any responsibility for that? Third: A sizeable portion of your population believes that riding bicycles and eating insects can change the climate. Perhaps such thinking could be corrected, but doing so would come at a cost as well. Fourth: Your education system was once admired around the world. Today, in many German classrooms, meaningful teaching has become difficult because German is no longer widely spoken. Fifth: Your infrastructure is crumbling, and you are struggling to keep up with the repairs. Sixth: Your railways were once a source of national pride and an example to the world. Today, your trains are notorious for delays and declining reliability. Seventh: We no longer depend on your renowned engineers. The sanctions taught us how to manage without them. And if we ever need outside expertise, we can turn to China, where it is not only less expensive but often more competitive. Eighth: You lack the natural resources and energy reserves that would make your country strategically attractive to conquer. Why would we take on problems that otherwise would not concern us? Realistically, even if you invited us in, surrendered, and waved white flags, we still would not come"