Scholz admits mistakes in Russia policy on US television - and attacks Putin

Created: 07/03/2022, 10:15 p.m

By: Andreas Schmid

Olaf Scholz in the CBS interview with US journalist Margaret Brennan.

© Screenshot CBS

Olaf Scholz does not expect the war in Ukraine to end quickly.

The Chancellor also explains on US television that Putin had planned the attack for a long time.

Madrid – Olaf Scholz spoke extensively about the Ukraine war on US television.

The Chancellor gave the CBS broadcaster a 35-minute interview that was conducted after the NATO summit in Madrid.

Scholz: "Putin will be able to continue the war for a very long time"

According to Scholz, Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin planned the Ukraine war well in advance.

"I think the decision for this war was made a year before it started, or possibly earlier," Scholz said in the conversation, which was held in English.

"And so he will be able to continue the war for a very long time."

Will Russia, which is currently concentrating on the Donbass war, run out of weapons at some point?

"No one really knows." Accordingly, he could not give a date for a possible end of the war, said Scholz.

He could not confirm an end in 2022, as outlined by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.

"The conflict will end when Putin realizes that his idea of ​​seizing part of his neighbor's territory will not succeed."

Scholz admits mistakes in Russia policy

Scholz also admitted that it was wrong to become unilaterally dependent on Russian energy in the past.

Russia uses gas supplies as a weapon.

"So we should have invested in an infrastructure across Europe that would give us the opportunity to change the offer from one day to the next." That is a lesson that the continent has now learned.

When asked how much money Germany is spending on energy from Russia, Scholz only replied that the amount is falling.

Because of the sanctions, Putin cannot spend the money on products from the West - for example in the field of modern technology.

Scholz on Putin: "He thinks like an imperialist"

Scholz also gave an insight into a conversation with Putin.

"He was always very, very critical of NATO and the European Union.

And when I spoke to him, I said, 'You have to accept the EU'.

And I told him that NATO is not aggressive.

It's all about defense.”

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Putin's ideology has fallen out of time.

"He thinks like the imperialists in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries," said Scholz, who met the Russian president in Moscow in February.

"He thinks that nation is all about power and that if you're powerful enough you can just take territory from your neighbors.

And that is an attitude that we cannot and will not accept.”