Chancellor Olaf Soltz states that it did not see any change in attitude towards Russian President Vladimir Putin during their telephone conversation yesterday and reiterates the need for the withdrawal of Russian troops, while stressing that Germany will not take any decision that could lead to a NATO confrontation; Russia.
Regarding his possible visit to Kyiv, Mr. Solz notes that it will take place when there are issues that need to be discussed on the ground.
«One thing is clear: Russia has not achieved any of its original war goals: Ukraine has not been conquered, but it is defending with great skill, courage and self-sacrifice, NATO has not withdrawn – in fact it has increased its forces in the eastern part of the Alliance and will become even stronger when Finland and Sweden join. In addition, the Russian army itself has suffered significant losses“Mr. Soltz said in an interview with t-online, adding that it should gradually become clear to Putin that the only way out of this situation is to reach an agreement with Ukraine.”
However, he emphasized that the agreement with Ukraine was the only way to lift sanctions.but “this can not be done with a dictated peace” from Moscow.
Asked if Ukraine’s borders should return to pre-2014, the chancellor said Russia should withdraw its troops and “everything else is decided by Ukraine.” Until then, he notes, Germany will continue to support Ukraine militarily, politically and economically.
Olaf Solz also said that during the telephone conversation he had with Vladimir Putin on Friday, he did not notice a change of attitude on his part. He stressed, however, that they both spoke very clearly and honestly. Regarding the danger of Russia using nuclear weapons, the chancellor points out that the concerns of the citizens are not simply rejected, but the speculations do not make sense either. “In any case, we will not take any decision that could lead to a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia,” he said, referring to a “crazy idea” by Vladimir Putin to expand the Russian empire for which the people are paying. now high price. “Many countries suffer from the fact that Ukraine is one of the main suppliers of grain. “This is a real hunger – not just whether there is enough sunflower oil on supermarket shelves, as is the case with us,” he said.
Regarding Ukraine’s application for membership of the European Union, Mr. Soltz referred to the criteria set by the EU and stressed that it was important that these criteria were not downgraded.
Asked about the risk of Germany “freezing” next winter due to the war and its aftermath, the chancellor referred to the government’s effort to secure alternative energy sources, but clarified that “this is not done overnight in another “.
Asked about criticism from Defense Secretary Christine Lambrecht, including for accompanying her 21-year-old son on many trips, Mr Soltz said: “Three years from now, Mrs Lambrecht will be the minister who has taken care of to upgrade the country’s armed forces “and adds meaningfully that he has been in politics for several years to know the rules of the media.
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