In an emotional address to the German Bundestag on March 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued an urgent warning and made serious accusations against Germany. He accused the members of the Bundestag of acting too late in regard to sanctions and said that Germany even actively helped Russia in its war preparations. He also noted that Germany and Russia have a long history of cooperation and said that has continued to this day. After Zelenskyy finished his speech, the German Bundestag went on with business as usual and discussed its upcoming vaccine mandate.

“Dear Mr. Scholz, tear down this wall,” Zelenskyy told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his address. “After we saw how many contacts your companies have left in Russia, with the state, which is simply using you and your companies to finance the war. You are again with a wall, not a Berlin one, but a wall between freedom and captivity. … Give Germany the leadership role that you in Germany deserve.”

Zelenskyy blamed Germany for helping Russia prepare for war. “We turned to you,” he said. “When we told you that Nord Stream 2 is a weapon, … a preparation for a large war, we heard in response that it is the economy, the economy, the economy. … It was the cement for the new wall. When we asked what Ukraine should do to become a member of nato to be safe, we were told that there is no such decision on the table yet.” Germany’s dependence on Russian gas continues to support Russia’s war machine with the necessary flow of money. Gas prices are rising in Germany, and refineries—some of which are owned by Russia—are profiting.

“The government is trying to get tough on Moscow with sanctions,” Spiegel Online wrote on February 24. “Earlier this week, however, the Cartel Office still cleared the purchase of large shares in a German refinery by the Russian state-owned Rosneft.”

“Every year politicians repeat ‘never again,’” Zelenskyy said, referencing Germany’s mantra to never allow another world war or Holocaust. “[N]ow, we see that these words simply mean nothing.”

How much did Zelenkyy’s message impact Germany’s parliament? The Local wrote:

Commentators said Zelenskyy’s speech was clearly harsher than seen in other countries. And the reaction from German parliament also differed. Although there was a standing ovation to Zelenskyy’s 15-minute speech, German politicians quickly got back to everyday business.

Christian Democrat Norbert Röttgen, who is calling for a total Russian energy embargo, led a chorus of conservative criticism of the government after Zelenskyy’s speech, saying Scholz should have addressed parliament immediately afterward. He called the awkwardness “the most undignified moment in the Bundestag … that I have ever experienced!”

His party colleague Roderich Kiesewetter called it “baffling” that parliament continued with plans to debate a national vaccine mandate … rather than [focus] on Germany’s Ukraine policy in the wake of Zelenskyy’s appeal. “I would have wished for more respect with regard to the suffering of the Ukrainian people due to Putin’s war of extermination!” he wrote on Twitter.

Yet even some of these conservative politicians are partially responsible for allowing the Ukraine conflict to reach this point. The indifference of Germany’s political class overall is remarkable.

In his 2018 article “Germany and Russia’s Secret War Against America,” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote: “For years, Germany has been criticized for the Nord Stream projects, but it pays no attention and presses ahead.” United States President Donald Trump often warned against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. He said it was financing Russia, at the same time that the U.S. was spending billions of dollars to protect Germany from Russia. But some of this criticism has come from leaders within Germany, such as Christian Democratic Union member Norbert Röttgen.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk told Ukrinform in January: “[W]e are forced to conduct new ‘wartime diplomacy,’ especially in Germany, which plays a key role in stopping Russian aggression.” Melnyk then explained that the media has a responsibility to put pressure on the government to face issues they’d rather avoid but said that “all this media activity in Berlin often irritates the ruling elites because we often step on their painful blisters.”

As Mr. Flurry wrote, Germany’s willingness to continue financing the Russian war machine, even amid much criticism, “shows Germany is uninterested in relying on nato anymore.”

Germany for many years refused to contribute its fair share to nato. Yet now it is willing to spend an enormous amount on its military. Considering Germany’s willingness to support Russia and reject nato, this about-face should be questioned.

While it’s understandable for European nations to arm when war breaks out on the Continent, if a nation that has been partially responsible for this war increases its military spending, we should dig deeper. If Germany were interested in peace, it would use the extra financing to sanction Russia. This would help Ukraine and eliminate the Russian threat. Yet many German companies, like chemical giant basf, continue to support Russia. This is an alarming trend.

“History shows that in between wars, Germany and Russia often work together,” Mr. Flurry wrote. “Most infamously, just before World War ii, the two made a deal in which Adolf Hitler’s Germany basically said to Joseph Stalin’s Russia: Stay out of it, Russia, and we will take over Europe. Then the two of us can split up Poland and other countries between ourselves.”

When Hitler cooperated with Russia, he knew a clash was inevitable; he wrote as much in Mein Kampf. The two countries have been historic enemies. But before that clash, Russia and Germany helped each other financially, militarily and strategically. Evidence indicates the same is happening today.

But Bible prophecy says this cooperation will not last forever. In Daniel 11:40-45, a German-led, European empire is prophesied to clash with radical Islam, led by Iran. (Please read Mr. Flurry’s free booklet The King of the South for a full explanation of this prophecy.) While Europe campaigns against the Middle East, it will be troubled by tidings from the East, referring mainly to advances from Russia and China. The Bible indicates that, at this point, Germany and Russia’s cooperation will end and military conflict will follow.

Current world events indicate that we are approaching this prophesied turn of events. For more information, read The King of the South and “Germany and Russia’s Secret War Against America.”