German Navy Chief Quits After Pleading For 'Respect' For Putin

The head of Germany's navy has resigned amid furor about comments he made that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserves "respect" and that the Crimean Peninsula "will never come back" to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry confirmed late on Saturday.

Photo Insert: Inspector of the Navy Kay-Achim Schönbach made the comments in India on Friday.

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, Carsten Hoffmann, Regina Wank and Bettina Grachtrup reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

"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. "Even we - India, Germany - we need Russia. Because we need Russia against China," he said. Schönbach, a devout Catholic, also noted that Russia is a Christian country.

"I believe in Christianity and there we have a Christian country, even if Putin is an atheist. It doesn't matter. Having this big country, even if it's not a democracy, at our side as a bilateral partner, giving them a chance with the EU and also the United States of America, having them on eye level. It is easy. It probably keeps Russia away from China."

Of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Schönbach said that "the Crimean Peninsula is gone. It will never come back." His comments referred to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, one of the incidents that started off the long-simmering hostilities.

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