In several streets of the Berlin district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, posters appeared in late September showing the image of German prisoners of war from the Second World War alongside the slogan “Nimm deine Revanche” (“Take your revenge”). Accompanied by a QR code, the posters direct readers to the official website of Ukraine’s International Legion, a unit created by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022 to host foreign fighters against Russia.
What at first glance looks like a simple propaganda call is, in reality, an action that poses a serious political and legal dilemma for Germany. The use of German war memory as a recruitment tool is not only offensive to many citizens but could also constitute a crime under §109h of the Penal Code, which prohibits the enlistment of nationals in foreign armies without a bilateral treaty, as explained by lawyer Marcus Haintz on his X profile.
The use of images of defeated soldiers in 1945 points directly to the deepest trauma of German identity. Turning that memory into propaganda fuel for a conflict that is not their own is perceived as a cynical and calculated gesture. “I feel offended. I have nothing against Ukraine, but it is not acceptable for them to try to recruit our citizens with this historical manipulation,” declared a resident who photographed several of these posters before they were removed.
The implicit message—that Germany must “avenge” its dead by fighting Russia today—not only trivializes a national tragedy but also threatens to reopen wounds in a society that for decades has tried to reconcile with its past.
Haintz has filed a complaint with the Berlin prosecutor’s office to investigate the case. In his statement, he said: “In Berlin, soldiers are being recruited in a criminal way for the International Legion of the Ukrainian army.” The journalist and lawyer recalls that no agreement between Germany and Ukraine allows such a recruitment campaign, so any action in this direction violates current legislation.
The Prosecutor’s Office must now clarify whether these posters are a direct initiative from Kyiv or part of a covert propaganda operation. It would not be the first time that the information war has used clandestine channels on European soil: in 2022, the Ukrainian embassy in Berlin itself denounced the circulation of fake recruitment letters attributed to Zelensky’s army.
Regardless of its authorship, the episode reflects the growing impact of the Ukrainian war on European political and social life. Berlin already allocates billions of euros in military and economic aid to Kyiv, while German taxpayers endure an unprecedented energy and fiscal crisis. Now, in addition, there is an attempt to drag its citizens directly to the battlefield.
This strategy undermines public trust and feeds the perception that Zelensky’s war is also being waged on German soil, but without democratic debate or parliamentary authorization.
If the involvement of official Ukrainian bodies is confirmed, we would be facing a serious case of foreign interference.
