Explosive Scholz statement on the Ukraine conflict: Chancellor talks about Germany's new Russia course

Created: 02/26/2022, 22:29

By: Jonas Raab

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will make a government statement on Sunday (February 27) at 11 a.m. on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

© picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Pool |

Michael Kappeler

Germany has fundamentally changed course in the Ukraine conflict.

What does Chancellor Scholz say in his government statement on the arms deliveries and Russia's Swift exclusion?

The news ticker.

• Russia is increasing the number of blows in the Ukraine conflict * enormously.

  Ruler Vladimir Putin * expands the attacks across the board.

• Germany says goodbye to two fundamental decisions.

  Chancellor Olaf Scholz* announces arms deliveries to Ukraine and makes an important financial decision.

• Scholz will make a government statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Sunday.

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Berlin - What is Germany's position in the further course of the Ukraine conflict?

Chancellor Olaf Scholz will provide information on Sunday (February 27).

At a special session of the Bundestag, he wants to give a speech on the current situation after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It starts at 11 a.m. - and given the current developments* - arms deliveries to Ukraine and planned Swift restrictions for Russia - should have been rewritten at short notice.

On Saturday (February 26) Scholz (SPD*) came under increasing pressure.

His sanctions against Russia, which was rapidly advancing in Ukraine, were seen as too lax - even within his own government.

Even the chancellor's party, the SPD, is no longer unanimously behind the head of government's course.

Juso Chairwoman Jessica Rosenthal called for all available sanctions to be used.

"This also includes the exclusion of Russia from Swift," said the head of the SPD youth association of the German Press Agency.

"We can really hurt the Russian government with this."

Ukraine conflict: Olaf Scholz announces sanctions against Russia - before that he came under pressure

Two of the Eastern European partners, who vehemently advocate the harshest possible sanctions against Russia, made a surprise visit to Scholz on Saturday: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda flew to the Chancellery for a meeting that had been announced at short notice.

Commenting on the visit, Morawiecki wrote on Facebook: "I have come to rouse Germany's conscience to finally enact truly sweeping sanctions that will influence the Kremlin's and Putin's decisions to stop attacking Ukraine."

This map illustrates where the Ukraine War is raging* and this map shows the areas already conquered in the Ukraine War*.

Scholz stood with his no to an immediate exclusion of Russia from the banking communication network Swift, he is now largely isolated in the European Union - before Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economics Minister Robert Habeck announced on Saturday evening that work was being done "at high pressure" on it, like a Russia's decoupling from the international payment system could be enforced.

Government statement by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the Ukraine conflict: Weapons deliveries decided

What the Greens* politicians around Baerbock and Habeck had taken over at Swift, Scholz did himself when it came to arms deliveries to Ukraine* Type "Stinger" from Bundeswehr stocks to be delivered to the Ukraine as quickly as possible.

Scholz thus reversed the long-standing practice of not delivering deadly weapons to war zones.

It is Germany's "duty to support Ukraine to the best of its ability in defending against Vladimir Putin's invading army," said Scholz, explaining that the Russian attack on Ukraine * marks a turning point.

For this reason, Germany also approved the delivery of German-made weapons to Ukraine by its NATO partners, the Netherlands and Estonia.

Ukraine conflict: Chancellor Scholz expresses himself in a government statement - there is a need for discussion

One thing is certain: there is a lot to talk about when the Chancellor's government statement is scheduled to last 30 minutes.

This will be followed by a two-and-a-half-hour debate between MPs.

Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) had scheduled the special session at Scholz’s request.

The Russian attack on Ukraine has a long history* - and has been condemned by representatives of all parliamentary groups.

The left and the AfD, which had previously rejected the policy of sanctions against Russia, were also critical.

After urgent appeals from Kiev, the federal government announced on Saturday evening that it would send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 surface-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine.

In the dispute over Russia's exclusion from the Swift international payment system, Germany is apparently giving in.