Ukraine conflict: SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich doubts Putin's sanity - "He is acting completely irrationally"

Created: 02/27/2022Updated: 02/27/2022 06:59

By: Jennifer Lanzinger

Olaf Scholz and Rolf Mützenich, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, come to the first parliamentary group meeting of the SPD after the federal elections.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

After the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the President of Ukraine expressed concern.

Meanwhile, SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich has doubts about Vladimir Putin's sanity.

The news ticker.

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Berlin/Kiev - On Friday evening, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyj, expressed concern.

"The fate of the country is being decided right now," Zelenskyj said in a short video.

Although fierce fighting raged in the capital during the night and also on Saturday, according to the Ukrainian authorities, control currently appears to be under control.

The Ukrainian armed forces reported fighting early in the morning.

But the situation remained unclear.

An overview of the situation on Saturday night.

According to estimates by the United Nations, around 50,000 people have fled across the borders to other countries.

Germany is also getting ready for admission.

Around the world, demonstrators took to the streets in solidarity.

A large-scale demonstration for peace in Ukraine is planned for Sunday in Berlin.

There are also anti-war protests in Russia.

According to the civil rights group OWD-Info, at least 560 people in 26 cities were arrested on Friday.

Our map shows how widespread attacks are in Ukraine.

Ukraine conflict: SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich doubts Putin's sanity - "He is acting completely irrationally"

In view of the Ukraine war, SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich doubts the sanity of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He is acting completely irrationally and harming his own country.

I now doubt that he can still see the signs clearly," said Mützenich in an interview with the

.

As a result of the war, Russia would "dwarf energy policy" because the Europeans would now develop other sources of gas and oil as quickly as possible.

At the same time, Mützenich rejected the accusation that the SPD and the federal government had been too gullible towards Putin.

"We certainly weren't (were) naïve," said the

foreign policy expert .

But "it remains to be said that we were wrong about Putin and considered him a rational actor".

With his attack on Ukraine, Putin "smashed" the goal of a common security order for Europe.

"Now we must do everything we can to prevent a further military escalation and to protect the Ukrainian population as well as possible," said Mützenich accordingly.