Helmut Schmidt said that he thinks that the Russian approach is "quite understandable". Sanctions are in his opinion "rubbish". The situation in the Ukraine may be dangerous - but he puts the blame for that on the West.

Further sanctions, he said, would miss the target, they would have only symbolic character, but could harm and hit the West as much as they would hit Russia.

Helmut Schmidt's comments now strengthen those in the German public debate, who lobby for "Understanding for Moscow". Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder had argued similarly, but I would say that Helmut Schmidt's words might be taken more seriously at least among the elderly generation of Germans.

Helmut Schmidt also criticized the decision of the West to not cooperate with Russia under the G8 framework. He said it would be "ideal to sit down together". It would be more becoming to peace than the threats of sanctions would be. He added that the G8 is in fact not as important as the G20. Russia has not been (so far) shown the door out of the G20.

Helmut Schmidt said the situation in Ukraine is dangerous, because "the West is terribly exasperated with the situation". This leads, he said, obviously to the situation where the public in Russia gets also very upset and troubled. He praised German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "carefulness" and "precaution".

Questioned, if he could imagine a Russian intervention in the Eastern part of Ukraine, Helmut Schmidt responded: "I deny to engage in speculations, but I think it is conceivable. I consider it a mistake, though, if the West pretends that this intervention would be inevitably the next step of Russian actions. This would only lead to potentially wet the Russian's appetite."

Well, that's it. Just reporting some things people don't like too much in these parts of the woods, but in the German forests there might be more people leaning towards the thinking of former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt than you would think.