Government declaration in the Bundestag – and the hope that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) finally clear text about his Ukraine policy speaks!
The reason for the 20-minute statement is the EU special summit, which is to be held in Brussels at the end of May to deal with the current situation surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Scholz made it clear: “Putin still believes that he can bomb a dictated peace. But he’s wrong. Just as he was wrong about the determination of the Ukrainians and the unity of our alliances.” Because the Ukrainians don’t accept him and neither do we.”
Only when Putin understands that he cannot break Ukraine’s defense capability will he be ready to seriously negotiate peace. For this it is important to strengthen the defense capability of Ukraine.
Scholz defended the German government’s position of supporting Ukraine “also in the delivery of weapons, including heavy equipment” – even if some “the support does not go far enough” and others “much too far”.: “A country that has been brutally attacked to help the swearing in, there is no escalation in that. But a contribution to repelling the attack and thus ending the violence as quickly as possible”.
Because: “We all have one goal in common: Russia must not win this war. Ukraine must survive”. However, he did not give details of German arms deliveries.
All he said was that the federal government was also giving Ukraine military support, “considered, weighed up and closely coordinated internationally”. Germany will not go it alone, and the federal government will not do anything that would turn NATO into a war party.
Since the beginning of the war of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin (69), critics accuse the Chancellor of acting hesitantly and not communicating his decisions. In particular, this concerns the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
► Scholz also welcomed the planned entry of Sweden and Finland into the alliance: “I say without hesitation: Dear friends in Sweden and Finland, you are very welcome! With you by our side, NATO and Europe will be stronger and safer.” But: Turkey’s President Erdogan is blocking the accession – Scholz said nothing about that on Thursday.
► And: He dampened expectations of Ukraine’s rapid accession to the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron (44) is right when he points out that the accession process is “not a matter of a few months or a few years”. To be fair to other accession candidates, there should be “no shortcuts” to the EU.
In the Bundestag session, which is scheduled to last more than 14 hours, important legislative decisions are also pending:
︎ such as the extensive suspension of Hartz IV sanctions for a year (debate from 3.20 p.m.),
▶︎ the payment of a new pandemic bonus to workers in hospitals and care facilities (4:50 p.m.)
︎ and a law to enforce sanctions more severely against members of the Russian elite (6:20 p.m.).