Zhirinovsky Threatening to Destroy Germany, Paper Says

Russian ultranationalist Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky, angry that he was denied a German visa, threatened the destruction of Germany through World War III should he come to power, a German newspaper said Saturday.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman would not confirm details of the Welt am Sonntag report, but he said that Zhirinovsky, through his reaction at the airport in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Wednesday, had further disqualified himself “as a discussion partner.”

The ministry said Zhirinovsky criticized Germany at Sofia’s airport after Bonn barred him from entering the country on the grounds that his presence could harm German state interests.

Welt am Sonntag, quoting a confidential report by Bonn’s embassy in Sofia, said Zhirinovsky also threatened to return 300,000 Russian troops to eastern Germany and demand stifling war reparations from Bonn should he get the opportunity.

The ministry spokesman, reading a statement, said, “At this occasion, he expressed himself negatively about Germany, made threats and insulted an official of the German Embassy personally.”

He added: “Germany emphatically rejects these attacks. In addition to his earlier statements, Zhirinovsky through these remarks further disqualifies himself as a discussion partner.”

Zhirinovsky originally planned to fly from Sofia to Berlin but had to change his plans after Bonn blocked his entry. He was left fuming in the Sofia airport’s VIP lounge after the Moscow flight was canceled because of an unofficial pilots’ strike.

Zhirinovsky, whose Liberal Democratic Party polled strongly in last month’s first post-Soviet elections, has dismayed Russian reformists and Western governments alike with wild calls for restoration of the Russian empire and aggressive comments about neighboring states.

Two years ago he threatened to drop nuclear bombs on Germany if it interfered in Russian affairs.

Welt am Sonntag, without providing full quotes, said the diplomatic report and a tape recording showed that Zhirinovsky threatened Germany with “World War III” and its “complete destruction.”

The article, released ahead of publication today, said the ultranationalist would not complete the Russian pullout from former Communist East Germany should he come to power.

About 60,000 Russian military personnel and family members are still stationed in eastern Germany.

Moscow, which once had 380,000 troops stationed in East Germany as the spearhead of the Warsaw Pact, will withdraw all its soldiers by August as part of international agreements accompanying German unification in 1990.

Zhirinovsky said he would return 300,000 troops to eastern Germany to back up additional reparation claims from World War II that would make Germany “a poor country,” the article said.