Gauck in Mönchengladbach: Weapons for Ukraine are justified!

Gauck in Mönchengladbach: Weapons for Ukraine are justified!

In a passionate call on Thursday evening in Mönchengladbach, former Federal President Joachim Gauck urgently called for “weapons and ammunition for Ukraine”. In his speech, he described Russia as the “biggest and most immediate threat” to the security of Germany and the West. Gauck sharply criticized Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who, in his opinion, was acting “with open aggression, neo-imperial violence and hybrid warfare.”

Ukraine needs the “resolute support of the West” to achieve peace through strength and to put Russia in its place. Gauck dismissed calls for an end to Western arms supplies and a quick peace agreement with Russia as “narratives infected by the spirit of subjugation.” He warned that those who argue for prudence today may “pay a much higher price” later.

Justified Violence and the Benedict Price

Gauck acknowledged that “further arms deliveries prolong the killing,” but emphasized that “defenders’ weapons are justified violence.” He recalled that without weapons against Hitler, “the swastika flag would fly” over Europe today. The 84-year-old Gauck was in Mönchengladbach to accept the “Benedict Prize,” which was awarded to him for his commitment to law, freedom and democracy. North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst gave a moving eulogy that visibly touched Gauck.

The prize, worth 5,000 euros, has been awarded since 1968 and honors outstanding actions in the spirit of Christian values. Gauck announced that he would donate the prize money to the Ukrainian Embassy for humanitarian purposes in order to help Ukraine in the coming winter of war. The Benedict Prize has been awarded in the past to personalities such as Jean-Claude Juncker and Dunya Hayali. Gauck, who served as the first non-party federal president from 2012 to 2017, accepted the award in the Kaisersaal of Haus Recreation.