Germany has confused historical responsibility for its fascist past with a sense of guilt towards Russia, which dictator Vladimir Putin used perfectly, but Berlin must take the right side in the war against fascism, writes American historian Timothy Snyder in the pages of the German Spiegel.

Manipulating the German sense of responsibility is a deliberate work of the Kremlin, historian emphasizes.

Especially since 2010, Germany's shame about its own fascist past and guilt towards Russia has become a Kremlin weapon, says Snyder.. The Germans felt guilty, and "

For Putin, Snyder continues, a Nazi is someone who broke into the USSR or, according to Russian leaders, can threaten or oppose Russia.. “From this point of view, a Russian is by definition an anti-fascist, even if what he does is clearly fascist.. Therefore, in modern Russia, the history of cooperation between Russia and the Nazis is completely silent.. The law prohibits discussion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and the difficult topic of Stalin's crimes, including the famine in Ukraine, is an official taboo,"

“If German politicians were aware of the importance of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, it would be morally difficult for them to justify the purchase of natural gas from Russia. German payments for fossil fuels helped fund two more Russian military aggressions in Eastern Europe..

At least 30 years ago, Germany should have started a discussion about Ukraine, but it still has a chance to break with its "

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There is no point in defending Vladimir Putin from the feeling that he is losing the war against Ukraine.. He will understand everything and protect himself.

And Russia is not driven to a standstill, nor is its army. She is the invader. Therefore, having been defeated, its combat units will retreat abroad to Russian territory.. Timothy Snyder, an American historian and professor at Yale University, wrote about this on his Twitter page.. He notes that Putin rules in virtual reality, where there is always an escape route.. It cannot be driven into a dead end in Ukraine, because Ukraine is not a virtual, but a real place.