The brutal attack by Russian troops on Ukraine, which violates international law, is not only throwing decades back efforts to achieve peaceful coexistence in Europe.

It is forcing Germany, which for a long time felt obliged to pursue a foreign policy that primarily served the interests of its export companies, also towards autocratic rulers, not only to show its colors and to work with its partners to introduce sanctions worthy of the name.

In the longer term, Germany must learn to make its energy and defense policies more strategic, among other things.

There are no small economic consequences associated with this.

Sanctions will not put a short-term brake on the actions of a ruler who is determined to take ruthless military action and who has also been able to build up his foreign currency coffers over the years.

Nobody should be under any illusions about this.

In view of the fragility of the Russian economy, which is still heavily dependent on the export of raw materials, well-defined economic sanctions can certainly have an effect in the longer term, even if they cannot be quantified in advance.

The objection that the West is driving Russia into China's arms with sanctions ignores the fact that Beijing is likely to register very precisely how consistently the West will react to the Russian war of aggression.

Showing unity and determination here is of inestimable importance for the West.

Anyone who declares sanctions defeatist as nonsensical and ineffective from the outset should rather go pedal boating on the Spree.

The line construction is not progressing

But even a successful policy of sanctions did not spare Germany from pursuing its interests through a primarily situational policy, but to think and act strategically to a greater extent – ​​and hand in hand with its partners.

For many years now, Germany's energy policy has only been acknowledged by quite a few partners with a clearly audible shake of the head.

Even some opponents of nuclear energy describe the order in which nuclear energy and coal were phased out as unfortunate in terms of security of supply.

Linked to these decisions was the intention to rapidly increase the proportion of regenerative energies.

But the construction of the line, with which green electricity is to be brought from the north to the south of Germany, is not progressing, among other things because of ecological concerns.

This policy creates a long-term dependency on gas supplies, for which Russia has been willingly given a significant role.

Unlike oil, where not only greater diversification among suppliers was sought after the crisis of 1973, but also a national reserve was created, intermediate storage facilities exist for gas, but nothing that deserves the term strategic reserve.

This was not done for ecological reasons, among other things.

It will be a Herculean task to significantly increase the share of renewable energies within a reasonable period of time, to enter an efficient hydrogen economy, to organize a gas supply that is less dependent on Russia and at the same time finally to allow internationally competitive electricity prices.

Even an economy like Germany, which is very efficient compared to other European countries, can rise above such a task.

Especially since Germany finally has to think more strategically in its defense policy.

Anyone who affords armed forces must also ensure that they have modern equipment.

What Germany has been doing in this regard for many years is like an insult to its soldiers and an oath of disclosure to its NATO partners.

It will take a lot of money, a lot of effort and a lot of time to correct past failures.

The best way to do this would probably be through industrial cooperation with partner countries.

The challenges are daunting, but the shock of Russian aggression is likely to have a large majority of the populace and the parties represented in the Bundestag in favor of a more strategic German policy firmly rooted in the West.

The applause for Putin's Russia, which can be heard from the murky pools of the extreme left and the extreme right and often derives from stupid anti-Americanism, remains a poor expression of unreality and irresponsibility.