German navy leader quits after calling for ‘respect’ for Putin

Berlin (dpa) - The head of Germany’s navy has resigned amid furore about comments he made that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserves “respect” and that the Crimean Peninsula “will never come back” to Ukraine, the Defence Ministry confirmed on Saturday.

Inspector of the Navy Kay-Achim Schönbach made the comments in India on Friday. They prompted Ukraine to call in the German ambassador and Schönbach to try to walk them back on Saturday.

“What he really wants is respect,” he said of Putin. “And, my God, giving someone respect is low cost, even no cost. If I was asked it is easy to even give him the respect he really demands and probably also deserves.”

Schönbach’s comments came after Moscow stationed 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders, leading to weeks of diplomacy to prevent hostilities from breaking out. Russia denies it is planning anything, but has also demanded that NATO promise not to admit Ukraine or expand further into Eastern Europe.

But, speaking in India, Schönbach said he saw China as a greater threat.