Government statement by Scholz: “Putin has fundamentally miscalculated”

Ukraine is resisting Russian aggression, Putin’s calculations are not working: In his government statement on the upcoming EU summit, Chancellor Scholz promised Ukraine further assistance and a further 18 billion euros in aid from the EU.

According to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed in all of his goals in the war in Ukraine. “Not a single one of Putin’s plans worked,” said Scholz in a government statement to the upcoming EU summit in the Bundestag.

Putin had “fundamentally miscalculated”. He believed his troops would overrun Ukraine within days. He assumed that Europe and the democratic West were too divided to effectively help Ukraine. “He thought he could dry up Europe’s solidarity by turning off the gas supply.”

“The West has accepted the challenge”

Putin was 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.

That is “the real story of this year 2022”. Ukraine is resisting Russian aggression, but the West has also accepted the challenge. “Together with our friends and partners, we have resolutely supported Ukraine – financially, humanitarianly and with arms.”

18 billion euros in EU funds for Ukraine

He announced another 18 billion euros in aid from the EU to Ukraine. It is important for Ukraine to survive the winter. Regarding sanctions against Russia, Scholz said as long as Putin continued his brutal war of aggression, they would be maintained and tightened further.

The Chancellor also emphasized the increased preparedness of NATO and Europe. The year showed “how indispensable the transatlantic alliance is”. With regard to the USA, he said that one should not allow oneself to be divided.

Scholz speaks of a “multipolar world”

In addition, Scholz emphasized the German alliance solidarity. “Our alliance partners know very well that they can rely on us,” said the Chancellor. “We will defend every square foot of Alliance territory if necessary.”

With regard to dealing with global issues such as climate protection, pandemics, biodiversity or digitization, Scholz advocated broad-based international cooperation: “The idea of ​​a bipolar era in which everything revolves around the USA and China ignores global reality.” , he said. “The world of the 21st century will be a multipolar world.”

Union demands delivery of battle tanks and armored personnel carriers

In his reply to the government statement, opposition leader Friedrich Merz called for the delivery of battle tanks and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. “The more we help, the faster this war will be over,” he said in the German Bundestag.

After initial hesitation, Germany had supplied important material, but Ukraine still lacked battle tanks and armored personnel carriers that the government could easily provide. Scholz is hiding behind the NATO partners, but this is misleading. “It’s mainly up to you,” Merz said to the Chancellor.

Continued skepticism about the European gas price cap

With regard to the energy crisis, Chancellor Schol confirmed Germany’s skeptical attitude towards a European gas price cap. “There are no simple immediate solutions,” says Scholz. You can’t intervene in prices in such a way that too little gas is then delivered to Europe.

However, Scholz said he was sure that there would be a good and pragmatic understanding. The EU countries were again unable to agree on a European gas price cap, partly because of Germany’s reservations.

Scholz praises the LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven

Scholz also referred to major advances in energy security. Nothing proves this as clearly as the opening of the first floating terminal for liquid gas on Saturday in Wilhelmshaven. The next terminals followed shortly. Scholz thanked everyone who had achieved “this great achievement” in record time. “We also have them to thank for making it through the winter well this year.”