German military academic sees ‘eternal bloody border’ in Ukraine

The chances of an end to hostilities in Ukraine are low, and the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin would not change this, a German military academic has told the Sunday edition of Vienna’s Kurier newspaper.

“Putin is just one of many representatives of an authoritarian, militant and nationalist regime,” said Marcus Matthias Keupp, who lectures at the military academy of Vienna’s ETH technical university.

If pressed, Russia would continue aggression at a lower level, he said. “There will be an eternally bloody border,” Keupp said.

He predicted that Moscow would continue to seek to infiltrate European countries. Putin already had the heads of Hungary and Slovakia on his side and was aiming for this in Austria and Germany as well, he said.

“He will attempt to generate left-wing and right-wing radical majorities, getting parties into power there that represent his views and are behind his agenda,” Keupp said.

He was dismissive of European Union attempts at rearmament, saying that there was a difference between having the money and having the backbone to use it. “You can buy a pistol, but you have to want to fire it as well,” Keupp said.

He called for arms deliveries to Ukraine to be maximized in order to achieve peace.