Media Report: Perception of the Crimean crisis in German Media

This media report focuses on the interpretation of the quickly evolving goings on in Ukraine and the Crimean Crisis in German mainstream media.

For that purpose, seven digital outlets of print newspapers or magazines have been surveyed, trying to capture a wide spectrum of political opinions. These outlets range from the mass-informational/yellow press BILD, the similarly more conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and Die Welt to centrist Die ZEIT, Spiegel Online (SpOn) and Die Süddeutsche to the green-alternative taz. – die tageszeitung (taz).

In general, few of the ideas and articles put forward in the various media go beyond what is to be expected in light of the outlets’ known political tendencies; while the more conservative papers tend to focus on what was, is and could be lost, centrist oriented media will try to provide a wider range of aspects and opinions while the more social-democratic and leftist media aim at highlighting more structural goings on and overlooked details as well as potential areas of improvement.

To provide a snapshot of the development of German news coverage, here both the articles from Friday 7th and Wednesday 12th of March 2014 will be covered for each outlet.

Spiegel Online (spiegel.de) – Reassurances, federalization and a continuous threat

On Friday, Spiegel Online headlined with an article about the unexpected role of German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economics, Sigmar Gabriel as the first foreign member of government speaking with Wladimir Putin directly since the outbreak of the Crimean Crisis due to an already planned trip and his subsequent visit to Maidan and the Ukrainian government. In other articles, Spiegel Online wonders about the unexpected praise Chancellor Merkel got from Julija Timoschenko in a recent statement, takes a look at the discrepancies between Putins’ policies and behaviour in the Syrian- vis-à-vis the Crimean Crisis and lastly points out in a fact checking feature that Putin is indeed right in his statements on the legality of the current Ukrainian government, while also pointing out that “Revolutions are illegal by default.”

On Wednesday SpOn focused on the various attempts of mending fences both within and among the different parties in the conflict. While they headline with German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frank- Walter Steinmeiers’ trip to the Baltic States to reassure both his empathy towards their doubts in the Russian willingness to engage in diplomacy over action, but also his advertisement for more dialogue-oriented diplomacy (at least for the time being). In other articles, Chancellor Angela Merkels’ labelling of Russia as annexing Crimea and the US American Congress’ call for international observers in Ukraine and the G7’s unwillingness to engage with Vladimir Putin are covered, as are Henry Kissinger’s attempts to deescalate the crisis by promoting a federalization of Ukraine and stronger rights for Crimea within the Ukraine.

Articles:

Shiny happy Timoschenko – http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/julia-timoschenko-lobt-kanzlerin-merkel-a- 957378.html

Fact Check Ukrainian presidency: Putin is legally right – http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-faktencheck-putin-und-der-legitime-praesident-a-957238.html

German Vice-Chancellor: diplomat by chance - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-russland-krise-gabriel-in-kiew-gelandet-a-957388.html

Putin contradicts himself (Ukraine vs. Syria) - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-krise-verstoesst-putin-gegen-voelkerrecht-a-957358.html

German foreign minister in the Baltics – good suggestions are only good when accepted, not when made - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-krise-steinmeier-beruhigt-die-baltischen-staaten-a-958051.html

Merkel: Russia annexes Crimea, European Unity has highest priority - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-krise-merkel-wirft-russland-annexion-der-krim-vor-a-958115.html

US congress asks for international observers in Ukraine - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/krim-krise-us-abgeordnetenhaus-fordert-internationale-beobachter-a-958139.html

Trying to deescalate – Henry Kissinger and federalization as a solution to the Crimean Crisis - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/krim-ukraine-henry-kissinger-hat-vorschlag-zur-beilegung-der-krise-a-957890.html

Crimean referendum - G7 states oppose Russia - http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-krise-g-7-staaten-drohen-russland-mit-sanktionen-a-958262.html

taz. die tageszeitung (taz.de) – the role of media and importance of de-escalation

On Friday, taz. die tageszeitung opened with a commentary on the indecisiveness of the EU in the Crimean Crisis while also featuring an article pointing out that the role and forms of framing of the Crimean Crisis in western media is working more towards its escalation rather than de-escalation. In a further article, the story is told of a Russian employee working in a German editing house in Moscow being fired for having posted a critical comment about Putin’s Russia online.

Wednesday, taz featured an essay on the importance of media avoiding too strong a labelling and ‘othering’ of the different parties in the Crimean Crisis as well as the importance of regarding the not-as-loud voices calling for moderation. Furthermore a conservative former member of the foreign affairs committee of German parliament states that neither Crimea, nor the other places that “Russia has taken hold of” should be given up just yet and the Western politics of reinforcing and sanctions vis-à-vis its allies and Russia are monitored.

Articles:

Western framing of the Crimean Crisis fuels escalation and nationalism - http://taz.de/Debatte-Ukraine/!134355/

German media outlet fires employee in Russia after criticising Putin in Social Media - http://taz.de/Verlag-entlaesst-Angestellten-nach-Kritik/!134407/

Crisis unsolved, EU undecided - http://taz.de/Kommentar-EU-und-die-Ukraine-Krise/!134398/

Former MP – Crimea is not lost - http://taz.de/Ruprecht-Polenz-ueber-Russland-Strategie/!134669/

De-constructing the narrative – when in doubt, paint it grey - http://taz.de/Schlagloch-Russland-Berichterstattung/!134627/

Crimea – Travel bans and state visits - http://taz.de/Krise-in-der-Ukraine/!134676/

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (faz.net) – Economic dangers, Russian framing and an author smarter than the EU

On Friday, the FAZ focused on the potential economic dangers of a further escalation of the Crimean Crisis and the public framing of Ukrainians as victims of the West in Russian media. Taking a look at Tom Clancy’s novel ‘Command Authority’ of 2013, in which he predicted the Crimean Crisis in great detail, FAZ asks how it was possible that an author of fiction was able to predict the crisis by relying on publicly accessible data, but not the EU with more and potentially better resources at its disposal.

Wednesday’s articles of the FAZ featured a report describing the economic situation in Eastern Ukraine and the public’s local struggle both against the country’s oligarchs and for a political identity in the face of that. Furthermore, an essay points out that the public labelling of the Crimean Crisis in Russia seems to fuel the strength and unpredictability of its actions. In other articles, both lobbies

and experts are warning about the dangers of economically sanctioning Russia and looking for a way out of Germany’s energy dependency on Russian resources.

Articles:

Protection extended – Russian framing of Ukrainians as victims of the West - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ukraine-putin-erweitert-schutzzone-12836262.html

On the economic dangers for Germany of enraging Putin - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/wirtschaftspolitik/krim-krise-hans-werner-sinn-warnt-vor-sanktionen-12835729.html

Following the literary script - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buecher/themen/ein-thriller-als-ukraine-drehbuch-wenn-tom-clancy-es-wusste-wieso-nicht-die-eu-12835198-p3.html

Merkel threatens Russia with further sanctions - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/krim-krise-merkel-droht-moskau-mit-weiteren-sanktionen-12842904-p3.html?printPagedArticle=true

Ruthless in Crimea – Russia’s unpredictability http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/ukraine-krise-skrupellos-auf-der-krim-12842211.html

Dusty Oligarchistan - the Ukrainian east and its struggle for political identity - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/europa/ukraine-versuche-der-neuen-regierung-drohen-zu-scheitern-12842167-p3.html

Energy dependency from Russia – looking for alternatives - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/wirtschaftspolitik/gasabhaengigkeit-deutschland-von-russland-europa-ist-nicht-in-putins-hand-12842419.html

Economy affected – lobby warns against a spiralling of sanctions with Russia - http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/wirtschaftspolitik/staatskrise-in-der-ukraine-exportlobby-warnt-vor-sanktions-spirale-gegen-russland-12843186.html

Die BILD (bild.de) – Putin plays games, Germany manages the crisis

Friday’s articles in BILD attempt to decode Putin’s behaviour by analysing his demeanour in his interview to Russian media and interviewing a supposed insider of Putin, his “Rocker Boss”, stating that the West should leave Ukraine to itself.

On Wednesday, BILD featured an article predicting step by step the outcomes of an economic war between the EU and Russia ending in the statement that “Both would loose, but Russia would loose more“. Additionally both the current Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Chancellor Helmut Kohl are featured in two pieces in which Merkel is ascribed a central role in the Crimean Crisis and described as having the hardest job in the world, while Kohl is cautioning is successors and the public that peace is not a given, just because there have been 50 years of peace in Europe. Lastly, an article describes how Wladimir Putin applies aikido tactics to the political game of chess he is playing.

Articles:

Putin’s Body Language - http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/barack-obama/laesst-putin-von-koerpersprache-experten-analysieren-34971490.bild.html

Interview of “Putins’ Rocker Boss” - http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/ukraine/chirurg-putins-rocker-boss-interview-34961948.bild.html

Crisis manager Merkel – hardest job in the world - http://www.bild.de/politik/inland/angela-merkel/so-managt-merkel-die-krim-krise-35029464.bild.html

Playing with Fire - under the threat of an economic war - http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/wladimir-putin/krim-krise-kann-putin-sich-einen-wirtschaftskrieg-ueberhaupt-leisten-35040226.bild.html

Hit hard and hit first – Putin playing chess in Ukraine - http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/wladimir-putin/putins-listige-schachzuege-34973026.bild.html

Ex- Chancellor Kohl cautions: peace is not a given - http://www.bild.de/politik/inland/helmut-kohl/mahnt-in-ukraine-krise-zu-besonnenheit-35030200.bild.html

Die ZEIT (zeit.de) – Preparations along the frontlines and a need for reforms in Ukraine

In Friday’s articles on ZEIT.de, a conservative foreign policy specialist is being interviewed, stressing the importance of Ukrainian sovereignty and a unity of the western players, while a comment in die ZEIT’s sports section advocates a taking-away of the planned Football World Championship 2018 from Russia as a consequence of the Crimean Crisis. Lastly, it is put forward that the transitional Ukrainian government can only work if personal change in its bureaucracy is implemented and feedback channels for the Ukrainian people are installed, such as an ombudsman.

On Wednesday, die ZEIT opened with an opinion piece by American born author Eric T. Hanson describing the general content in Germany with the new Cold War, claiming that Germany let slip two opportunities to take on global leadership and is happy now that the USA are taking on the responsibility that could be Germanys’. In other news, a new poll says that during the course of the Crimean Crisis, the current grand coalition in government has gained trust and popularity among the Germans. Furthermore, official statements confirming Russian soldiers in Crimea, the on-going Ukrainian hope for a peaceful solution of the crisis as well as the G7s rejection of a potential annexation of Crimea by Russia are observed, as is Belarus’s demand for military airplanes from Russia to counter US-American support to Lithuania and Poland for border protection. Lastly, an article on the process towards an association agreement between the EU and Ukraine shows European preparedness to engage in a continuous struggle with Russia.

Articles:

Bureaucratic change is needed for the Ukrainian transitional government to work - http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-03/ukraine-aufgaben-uebergangsregierung

Take away the 2018 football world cup from Russia - http://www.zeit.de/sport/2014-03/paralympics-boykott-putin-krim-sotschi

Sovereignty of states as the highest good, western unity and swiftness necessary - http://www.zeit.de/2014/11/roettgen-russland-putin-krim

OSCE and Russian state agency speak of Russian soldiers in Crimea - http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-03/krim-ukraine-soldaten-osze

EU association agreement with Ukraine - EU prepares for continuous quarrels with Russia - http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-03/krim-konflikt-westen-russland-eu-ukraine/seite-1

Surveying the boarders - Belarus asks for Russian military airplanes - http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-03/weissrussland-russland-kampfflugzeuge

G 7 will not accept annexation of Crimea - http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-03/russland-krim-eu-sanktionen

Recent poll: German government gaining support - http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2014-03/umfrage-koalition-krim

Crimean crisis: Ukrainian government hopes for political solution - http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-03/ukraine-krim-militaer-turtschinow

Germanys’ happiness about the new Cold War - http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2014-03/wir-amis-kalter-krieg-deutschland/seite-1

Die Welt (Welt.de) – Dangers, fears and a bit of hope

On Friday, Vice Chancellor Gabriel’s trip to Russia and Ukraine alone made the headlines with regard to the Crimean Crisis, during which he is described as deeply moved by his visit of Maidan square and quoted with the statement that, yes, credits given to the Ukraine at the moment are political in nature, but financial aid to Ukraine can only be given if the current government continues to fight corruption within the Ukrainian state.

In Wednesday’s news, the speeding up of an association agreement between the EU and Ukraine were featured as well as the dangers in Crimea to journalists and the inability to escape the information war over the Crimean Crisis. Additionally, the Ukrainian government’s fear of a potential

war on two fronts, Crimea and Russia, is featured alongside an article on the pause in G8 meetings due to the Crimean Crisis.

Articles:

Vice-Chancellor Gabriel: Financial Aid for Ukraine as long as transitional government fights corruption - http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article125558301/Hier-haben-Menschen-fuer-Europas-Werte-gekaempft.html

Threat of Annexation – G8: Putin not welcome - http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article125715684/G-7-Staaten-warnen-Putin-vor-Annexion-der-Krim.html

EU association agreement with Ukraine picking up speed - http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article125728826/Assoziierungsabkommen-mit-Ukraine-naechste-Woche.html

Information War in Ukraine – journalists under threat in Crimea - http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article125704414/Zwischen-den-Fronten-des-Informationskrieges.html

Ukraine fears war on two fronts - http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article125698517/Die-Ukraine-fuerchtet-einen-Zweifrontenkrieg.html

Süddeutsche Zeitung (Sueddeutsche.de) – Ukraine at a crossroads

In an essay on Friday’s Sueddeutsche.de, a young Ukrainian describes the Maidan protests as a unifying moment for the Ukrainian people and the re-birth of a nation, while a second opinion-piece suggests to see the Crimean Crisis as a conflict between 19th and 21st century worldviews between Russia and the West, claiming that the Ukraine is to follow the West for the betterment of its own good.

In Wednesday’s feature, die Süddeutsche focuses on the monetary costs of its struggle for independence from Russia and the economic challenges that are already visible on the ground due to a devaluation of its currency.

Articles:

Crimean Crisis as a conflict between 21st and 19th century world views, Ukraine will benefit from following the EU - http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/krim-krise-putins-weltbild-aus-der-vergangenheit-1.1907234

Maidan as the (re-)birth of a nation - http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/ukrainer-ueber-maidan-protest-vereint-wie-nie-zuvor-1.1905725

The high cost of liberty – Ukraine closing in on bankruptcy - http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/kiew-vor-dem-staatsbankrott-was-die-freiheit-der-ukraine-kostet-1.1909943

The information in the publication is as of March 12, 2014