plot explanation - Why did Ernst Jürgen choose to do that in the film Unknown? - Movies & TV

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I did not understand this scene in
Unknown (2011) at all, an old guy called Rodney Cole rings up Ernst
Jürgen and wants to meet. Ernst Jürgen then instead of using time between phone call and
Rodney's arrival to escape, or even prepare a trap for Rodney, he does nothing but
wait.

They're both old and would
hardly resolve to a fight, even though Rodney probably would win due to sheer size over
Ernst, yet a physical encounter never came to it as when Ernst tells Rodney he knows he
is from "sector 15" he then takes cyanide powder and dies.

Why did Ernst Jürgen commit
suicide??

Answer

The answer is right there in the
scene:

Cole
turning to face Jurgen. Smile gone. Glint of a gun inside his jacket. Jurgen looking
steadily back at him. Takes a deep gulp of coffee.

COLE: You had fifteen minutes after I called. Why didn't
you run?

JURGEN: Where would I run from
Section 15, Mr. Cole? I can hardly
walk.

And then
later on:

COLE: I
want to know how he found you. I want every number, every source you've contacted on his
behalf.

JURGEN: And then what? We
shake hands and you go away?

Cole
reaches a hand inside his jacket...

JURGEN (CONT'D): There's no need for that.

Beat. Cole's eyes flicker. Jurgen's body tightening... the coffee...
the empty sachet of
sweetener...

(From
IMSDb.)

Cole
may be an old man too, but he is armed and his ruthlessness is seen clearly enough in
the later scene when he deals with Martin. Jürgen - the old Stasi man who is already
dying of lung cancer - would rather die on his own terms than be interrogated then
murdered.

I love that scene: two fantastic
performances and a real air of mutual respect between old adversaries. To my mind it
feels like a scene from a proper spy drama like Tinker Tailor
grafted into an action thriller.