Scholz mentioned that after the outbreak of all-out struggle, Russia and Ukraine tried negotiating — however Moscow wasn’t critical. “The talks failed as a result of Russia solely used them as a pretext to maneuver its troops to the east for a serious offensive on the similar time,” mentioned Scholz.
The German chancellor, who has typically been criticized as a result of he refuses to ship long-range Taurus missiles to assist Ukraine, defended himself: “We’ll do the whole lot we are able to to make sure that the struggle doesn’t escalate.
“On the similar time, Germany is supporting Ukraine with weapons and ammunition greater than every other nation in Europe. We spend greater than €28 billion on this alone. Greater than many different international locations mixed.”
Pledging that Germany will “proceed to take action for so long as mandatory,” he added that Putin shouldn’t depend on help for Ukraine dwindling with time.
Scholz added that the ability to finish the struggle lies in Putin’s palms: “Let me make one factor very clear: peace is feasible at any time. Putin simply has to cease his barbaric marketing campaign and withdraw his troops.”