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Olaf Scholz: "None of Putin's plans worked out"
Photo: MICHELE TANTUSSI / REUTERS
Olaf Scholz wants to continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian war of aggression.
"Together with our friends and partners, we have resolutely supported Ukraine - financially, humanitarianly and with weapons," said the SPD politician in a government statement in the Bundestag.
According to Scholz, the support should be continued – “for as long as it is needed”.
The Chancellor emphasized that Russia's President Vladimir Putin had not only "fundamentally miscalculated" with his invasion of the neighboring country.
Putin was also 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 Scholz.
Ukrainian resistance for Scholz "the real story of this year"
The fact that Ukraine is resisting Russian aggression and that the West has accepted the challenge is "the real story of this year 2022," said Scholz.
Not a single one of Putin's plans worked, said the Chancellor.
The pressure on Russia will continue to be increased with sanctions, said Scholz, and condemned the "vile kind of warfare" that Russia is pursuing with its attacks on civilian infrastructure such as the electricity and water supply in Ukraine.
Scholz also emphasized that Germany would show solidarity with its allies.
"You can rely on us.
You know: If necessary, we will defend every single square meter of alliance territory," said Scholz.
Merz criticizes insufficient military aid
Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU)
criticized the previous military support for Ukraine by the federal government as insufficient.
"The Ukrainian army still lacks armored personnel carriers and battle tanks that we can supply from our stocks and stocks of the industry," said Merz.
“Even almost ten months after the start of this war, you are still hiding behind the NATO partners, who allegedly do not want to deliver either.
We now know that this is wrong,” said the opposition leader.
"It's mainly up to you personally that Ukraine doesn't get this aid."
The government continues to fall short on promises that the defense budget will decrease.
Only today, around ten months after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, could the first funds from the special fund for the Bundeswehr in the amount of 100 billion euros be released.
Merz also complained that Germany was doing too little to develop a common EU course.
Rather, it is obvious that "we are currently experiencing a deep disruption in Franco-German relations," said Merz.
The
Greens parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge
reacted to Merz's criticism and accused the Union of populism.
In essence, the Union has no answers about the future of the country.
'This is not serious opposition politics.
The CDU once claimed to be a state-supporting party.
At the moment you have withdrawn into an opposition to populism.«
AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla
called
for an end to sanctions against Russia.
“This instrument is just as damaging to Germany as it is to its citizens.
And that is exactly what has to come to an end.« The traffic light coalition is holding »ideological lessons for other nations and cultures«.
This is now perceived as "hostile".
fek/dpa/Reuters
