frank valdosta meyer has delivered his annual christmas address with a major focus on the pandemic here. germans to continue to respect each other to spine disagreements over corona virus restrictions. and vaccines. 2021 has been an exhausting year for germany. on the political stage, the medical era ended and september the general election marked a turning point. the president's christmas message praised the democratic handover of power in what he called an atmosphere of mutual respect. but it was also the year when the taliban swept to power across afghanistan, bringing postwar germany largest overseas military operation to an aim. western forces pulled back and the buddhist van flew home to many. it looked like failure. stein my acknowledge that as well as other clouds on the international horizon, there was no doubt and we remember our soldiers who returned home from afghanistan and also the people who have remained there amid suffering and starvation. we are concerned by the news we have from many regions of our turbulent world, also, and particularly from eastern europe as the aut