This text started at 10,650 meters, somewhere over the Persian Gulf, and it would not have come about if I could sleep better on the plane. The chancellor recently traveled to Southeast Asia with a group of journalists, of which I was also a part, with Vietnam as the first stop. Because Russia and Ukraine have been flown around for months, it took twelve hours.

There are people on the plane who, after eating, lean back in their seats, watch a movie and fall asleep. Not me. As a journalist, you sit comfortably when traveling in the government plane, usually have two seats for yourself, pillow and blanket and, if it helps, not just a glass of wine, but two. It doesn't help me.

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