German Chancellor says Russia can’t be allowed to win in Ukraine
April 20, 2022, 8:00 am

German Chancellor says Russia can’t be allowed to win in Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky and Olaf Scholz/Facebok

The Russian news agency, Tass, reported, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday (Apr 19) said the Russian armed forces shouldn’t be allowed to win in Ukraine.

He made the statement at a news conference following talks that Western leaders held by video link. The leaders included presidents Joe Biden of the US, Emmanuel Macron of France, Andrzej Duda of Poland, Klaus Iohannis of Romania, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Scholz said: "Together with our partners in the EU and NATO we are completely united in the opinion that Russia must not win this war."

The chancellor addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, saying, "Stop shelling Ukrainian cities. Allow to establish an immediate ceasefire and withdraw your troops. Stop this horrible war".

Russia says it will increase missile strikes on Kiev targets (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

A week ago, Ukrainian capital Kiev announced that German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier is not welcome after visit to Warsaw.

Steinmeier said during a visit to Warsaw on Tuesday for talks with President Andrzej Duda: "I was ready to go, but apparently - and I have to acknowledge this - this was not wanted in Kiev."

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Earlier, Ukraine has demanded surplus heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, from Germany, but this has been blocked by Scholz, who is insisting on joint EU action.

levantnews, tass

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.