Berlin Chancellor Olaf Scholz has threatened Russia with the imposition of further EU sanctions. “We will maintain and tighten the sanctions against Russia as long as Putin continues his brutal war of aggression,” said Scholz in a government statement in the Bundestag on Wednesday. The sanctions pressure on Russia will be increased and Ukraine will continue to be given resolute support.
Scholz also accused Russia of a “vile type of warfare” because of the targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure such as electricity and water supplies.
Putin had “fundamentally miscalculated” in his war planning. “Not a single one of Putin’s plans worked,” said Scholz in the Bundestag. The Russian ruler believed his troops would overrun Ukraine within days. He assumed that Europe and the democratic West were too divided to effectively help Ukraine. “He believed he could dry up Europe’s solidarity by turning off the gas supply,” says Scholz.
Putin was wrong – “about the courage of the Ukrainians, about Europe, about us, about the character of our democracies, about our will to resist great power mania and imperialism,” said the Chancellor. “This is the real story of this year 2022. Ukraine is resisting Russian aggression, but the West has also accepted the challenge.
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“Together with our friends and partners, we have resolutely supported Ukraine – financially, humanitarianly and with arms. We will continue to provide this support – for exactly as long as it is needed,” the Chancellor affirmed.
“Our alliance partners know very well: they can rely on us. You know: If necessary, we will defend every single square meter of alliance territory,” said Scholz. Among other things, he referred to the 100 billion special fund for the better equipment of the Bundeswehr.
Chancellor: “Stay on course” in the matter of the Ukraine war – further sanctions possible
Germany will have up to 17,000 soldiers for the NATO Response Force in this and the next two years and will again take over the leadership of the NATO Rapid Response Force in the coming year. From 2025, Germany will have 30,000 soldiers permanently ready for the NATO armed forces structure, Scholz said.
The German Air Force secures the airspace over Estonia, the Navy increases its presence in the Baltic Sea. Germany has permanently strengthened the NATO battle group in Lithuania and is thus improving the defense of the entire Baltic region.
With all these measures, Germany is strengthening the trust of all partners in its willingness to assume responsibility within the alliance, said Scholz. “We have resolutely embarked on this course since February 24. We are staying on this course.”
CDU leader Merz calls on the government to deliver tanks
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz once again demanded that the federal government supply battle tanks and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. “The more we help, the faster this war will be over,” said the CDU leader in the Bundestag debate. Scholz is hiding behind the NATO partners, but this is misleading. “It’s mainly up to you,” Merz said to the Chancellor.
Merz: “The more we help, the faster the war will be over”
Scholz said he hoped that the message had also gotten through to Moscow about how isolated Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had become in the world with “his enormous superpower mania”. This was already shown at the G20 meeting in Indonesia.
>> Read here: This is how the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag react to Scholz’s speech
He also agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping that even threatening to use nuclear weapons is inadmissible and that the use of nuclear weapons would cross a red line.
Scholz critical of EU gas price cap
The Chancellor expressed skepticism about the European price cap on Russian gas, which is intended to weaken Putin’s economic position: “There are no simple immediate solutions. For example, we cannot intervene in prices in such a way that too little gas is delivered to Europe.”
This insight is also important for the understanding that the EU Energy Council continued to work on on Tuesday. However, Scholz said he was sure that there would be a good and pragmatic understanding.
Scholz insists on security of supply with EU gas price cap
The EU countries were again unable to agree on a European gas price cap, partly because of Germany’s reservations. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said that progress had also been made on technical issues and the structure of the mechanism at the special meeting of energy ministers. It is still unclear how high the price should be. This question should be clarified at the next meeting of energy ministers on Monday.
Under pressure from a large number of countries, the EU Commission proposed capping the price for gas sold at the TTF wholesale site at EUR 275 per megawatt hour under certain circumstances.
Energy security is the topic: “Great performance” by everyone involved
Scholz also referred to major advances in energy security. Nothing proves this as clearly as the opening of the first floating terminal for liquid gas on Saturday in Wilhelmshaven. The next terminals followed shortly.
Scholz thanked all the workers and engineers who had achieved “this great achievement” in record time. “We also have them to thank for making it through the winter well this year.”
Chancellor: “Get along” with China, not “disengage”
In his government statement, Scholz also advocated broad-based international cooperation on major global challenges. “The idea of a bipolar era in which everything revolves around the USA and China ignores global reality,” said the SPD politician.
“The world of the 21st century will be a multipolar world.” For solutions to major global issues such as climate protection, pandemics, biodiversity or digitization, you not only have to diversify the supply chains, but also the connections to all parts of the world.
Scholz explained that it is about close partnerships with emerging nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Europeans have a wide range of values and interests in common with their most important global partner, the USA, which does not rule out differences on individual issues. The American investments in climate protection are an impressive contribution to the transformation.
“But they must not prevent fair competition.” Instead of a major dispute, however, it is important to work together much more closely and to strengthen common and fair trade with the USA.
Scholz said China’s rise to global power is a fact that has to be dealt with. “It would be wrong to translate ‘coping’ with ‘uncoupling’.”
China remains important as an economic and trading partner. However, there are many global issues to be discussed with China – even where there are different views of the facts.
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