Sergei Sumlienny is an unusual German expert. He was born and raised in Russia. He moved to Germany and became a citizen due to his German ancestry. He gave up his Russian passport.

He works in Berlin and heads the European Resilience Initiative Center.

Sergei does not doubt that Germany will make a decision eventually and hand over tanks to Ukraine. The most complicated issue that the Germans have to overcome is that the murders, rapes, and other war crimes in Ukraine are supported by the vast majority of Russians.

Sergei Sumlienny's points briefly:

Germany is definitely not Ukraine's enemy. However, it is questionable in what spheres it is a friend.

Germany is interested in Ukraine's victory; in strong Ukraine, in Ukraine, which is a European state integrated into the EU and NATO.

The problem is that Germany needs to do more for this victory now. It does not understand what "bills" it will get because this war lasted 1.5-2 years, and not 3-4 months, as it could have with its sufficient assistance.

This is Germany's problem: loud statements and very slow action.

Olaf Scholz is not an anti-Ukrainian politician. He is not an enemy of Ukraine. But in some cases, not being an active friend is already bad.

I'm sure they will hand over Leopard tanks.

Germany will deliver them to Ukraine, but only following other states. For example, if the United States hands over tanks, Germany will wait two weeks and do the same.

The real problem is not Scholz. The problem is that his coalition partners let him do this. They need more political experience and courage to stand up and say out loud that Scholz is making a mistake.

German politicians are frightened by the thought of Russia's defeat in the war because they cannot comprehend it. "What will happen after?"

They cannot imagine Russia's defeat, let alone a defeat that will end up with Russia's collapse. Germans are scared even to think about it. So it is better not to think about it.

The opposite outcome, like "reconciliation" with Russia, is welcome by many.

Ukrainians see victory when their country is saved, and there are no more threats. Russians see victory when they enter the city, burn everything, rape, and move on. Destroying something is even better for them than stealing. They demonstrate their power in such a way. "To steal" is not so relevant because today you have it, and tomorrow someone will steal it from you.

Moreover, very educated Russians fully share this concept of cannibalism - representatives of business, science, and culture, integrated into the Western world. They see nothing wrong in destroying Mariupol or Kyiv, striking a nuclear attack on Ukraine, in those created in Russia filtration camps, in torture...

But the Germans do not see this. They cannot imagine that this is possible.

The Germans cannot believe it is about Russia's desire to physically destroy the Ukrainian nation and turn those who remain alive into Russians.

The Germans are absolutely not ready for Russia's collapse, although it is very real nowadays. It was the same situation when they were entirely unprepared for the USSR collapse.

Even the expert community is not ready to talk about it. They have admitted though that Russia is an enemy and that it is impossible to negotiate with. But they are not ready to talk about Russia's defeat. Those who say that Putin will lose the war and Russia will fall apart are again marginalised and called radicals.

The German mainstream will understand the reality only when Russia starts to fall apart.

Any comparison of modern crimes committed by Russia and Russians with the crimes of Nazi Germany (Holocaust, war of extermination in the East, etc.) is unacceptable to most Germans.