Berlin – AFP
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz considered, on Wednesday, that the Russian attack on Ukraine was “stumbling”, calling on Moscow to stop the fighting immediately.
“The truth is that war is destroying Ukraine, but Putin is destroying Russia’s future,” Schulz told Germany’s lower house of parliament, stressing that Kyiv might count on Germany’s help.
The German chancellor warned that Western sanctions imposed on Moscow were effective and would cause further damage to Russia’s economy. But he said, “It’s just the beginning. Several dire consequences will emerge in the coming weeks. We are constantly imposing sanctions.”
He stressed that Germany supports Ukraine, but also indicated that he will not support Ukrainian calls to NATO, which request the imposition of a no-fly zone over Ukraine or calls for sending peacekeeping forces.
“Although it is difficult, we will not give in to that,” he added, adding that Germany would not risk a direct military conflict between Russia and NATO.
During an interview with the German weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, Schulz stated that he had an idea of the outcome of the talks on ending the Russian operation, but pointed out that discussing them publicly would be irresponsible.
“The impressive resistance of the Ukrainians has increased the chances of an agreement between Moscow and Kiev,” he added. But this is not certain. It remains unclear whether Russia even wants a deal. The situation is so bitter.
