“Maybrit Illner”: “Trump doesn’t care how this war ends,” says his former security advisor

After 13 years of civil war, things suddenly moved very quickly in Syria. On December 8, Syrian rebels overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad. Support came from Israel, the USA and Turkey. Assad fled to Russia, but President Putin could no longer support him. His Russian forces are tied up in the Ukraine war, where Moscow’s army is taking more and more territory.

At the same time, pressure is growing on both sides. US President-elect Donald Trump could try to force Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. Is an end to the war in sight – or is there a threat of escalation on a global level? Maybrit Illner discussed this with her guests on Thursday evening.

Manfred Weber, parliamentary group and party leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), defends Jens Spahn’s (CDU) proposal to pay Syrians 1,000 euros to return home. Omid Nouripour, former party leader of Alliance 90/The Greens, finds the timing of the proposal to be inappropriate. “Zeit” journalist Mariam Lau is convinced that the question about the future of Ukraine “belongs in the election campaign.” ZDF international special correspondent Katrin Eigendorf believes that Putin’s “leverage” has become significantly smaller. John Bolton provides a forecast for the start of Donald Trump’s presidency. He worked under Trump as national security adviser during his first presidency.

“Democracy is a demand that is far too high”

“We looked into hell,” says “Zeit” journalist Mariam Lau about the situation in the Syrian torture prison Sednaya. That’s why we can “rejoice” about this historic event in Syria. At the same time, Lau warns against expectations that are too high: “Democracy is a demand that is far too high. A nation would be nice for now.”

The other guests also agree that Muhammad al-Jolani, head of the Islamist HTS militia, currently embodies a kind of light Islamism. Manfred Weber (CSU) tries to approach it pragmatically: “We have to work with those we have.” For him, the decisive factor is the demand for “fair treatment of all minorities”.

“If there is no world policeman, then the evil forces of this world will feel motivated to provoke further,” is Weber’s gloomy prognosis. The crucial question for him is therefore: “Are we Europeans finally grown up? Are we ready to take responsibility in this world?”

“It will not be the case that Trump will end the war in 24 hours”

Trump expert John Bolton is “very optimistic” about the future of Syria. He is more skeptical about the further course of the Russian war in Ukraine. Trump says it is “not important how this war ends.” That is also a bad sign for NATO.

Putin has been expanding the “Russian-Chinese axis” for several years. “This is his very disturbing development,” criticizes Bolton. At the beginning of Trump’s presidency, he is certain: “It won’t happen that Trump wants to solve the war within 24 hours.”

“War or peace, this question belongs in the election campaign”

After Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Kiev at the beginning of December, candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) followed him earlier this week and spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about “Taurus” cruise missiles, which he would promise as future chancellor.

“War or peace, this question belongs in the election campaign,” says Lau. The topic concerns people in Germany. After all, the war in Ukraine is also “our war in Europe.” Nouripour replies: “The straightforward truth is: So far only Putin has had the choice to end the war.” This should “not simply be brushed aside” in the election campaign. The question of peace ultimately depends on the point: “What interest does Putin have?” says Weber. Putin’s “lever has become significantly weaker,” adds ZDF journalist Katrin Eigendorf.

When Assad is gone, “then you no longer need protection status”

Jens Spahn’s (CDU) proposal to pay every returnee to Syria an entry fee of 1,000 euros met with mixed reactions in the group. While Lau doesn’t find it “morally reprehensible” to discuss lifting protective measures, in view of the pictures taken at Sednaya Prison, it is a time “when you should just shut up for a few days.”

Weber, on the other hand, is of the opinion: “When people in German streets celebrate that Assad is now gone, then many Germans say in their living rooms: Then you no longer need protection status.”