Richard David Precht believes fear of Russia is unjustified: “Not too great a danger”

In an interview, philosopher Richard David Precht spoke critically about the arms buildup and the perception of Russia in Germany. In a conversation with the taz newspaper published on Tuesday, the 60-year-old said that fear of climate change has been replaced by fear of Russia. He said it was "crazy" that "enlightened people in 2025 are more afraid of Russians than of climate death."

He himself has never been afraid of the Russians, even if Russian nuclear missiles are stationed just a few minutes' flight from Berlin. Precht regrets that there have been no "serious diplomatic offensives on the part of Germany" to end the war in Ukraine . He calls Russia's attack on Ukraine a "reaction" to NATO's "expansive" strategy.

The Russian army proved weak in the Ukraine war, the author continued. He considers it unlikely that Russia could attack a NATO country. After all, the country didn't want to ignite World War III. Newer NATO states like Finland and Sweden are now "safe" thanks to their NATO membership. Precht concludes: "I don't see too great a threat as far as Russia is concerned."

Precht also views the role of military experts who prepare for worst-case scenarios critically. They run the risk of mistaking pessimistic forecasts for reality. In this context, he speaks of a "panic among military experts." This is caused by uncertainty about whether NATO states would actually stand up for each other in an emergency. The "normative force of the fictitious" of mutual defense has become fragile.