RT.com
22 Mar 2023, 00:14 GMT+10
The German chancellor has suggested that even after hostilities end, things won?t return to normal overnight
The West should prepare for a protracted conflict in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned. He predicted that even after the fighting has stopped, the consequences of the confrontation will persist.
Appearing at a meeting organized by the Rheinische Post newspaper in Duesseldorf on Monday, Scholz asserted that "we must prepare ourselves that it can last a long time," adding that "even when the war is over, not everything will be normal overnight."
"We should realize that this dreadful war of aggression and its consequences will keep us busy for a long time, and that we will have to deal with the clearing of the rubble for a long time," Scholz stated.
Despite his prediction, Scholz argued that Berlin should not be deterred from working to bring an end to hostilities as soon as possible, and claimed that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine was the key prerequisite for a "just peace."
In an apparent attempt to allay public concerns over his handling of the crisis, Scholz insisted that his government was "not acting recklessly." The Rheinische Post interpreted the remark as an indication from the chancellor that he was against weapons deliveries to Ukraine becoming "too extensive."
Explaining his government's goals in Ukraine, Scholz said Germany would like to see a situation where Kiev is able to "recover its security."
The chancellor also stated that he holds regular phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the conversations lasting up to an hour and a half. Scholz added that they sometimes speak in German, although they also use an interpreter. According to the chancellor, while Putin is always polite, major differences of opinion remain between the pair.
In contrast, Scholz claimed he shares a "common political concept" with US President Joe Biden, as he heaped praise on the American leader.
Scholz went on to insist that the European Union is more united than may appear to outside observers, but maintained that the bloc should do away with its unanimity principle when taking major decisions.
A single country should not be able to "halt everything" as "not everyone always agrees" on every issue, Scholz argued, adding that "we cannot simply leave all institutional structures as they are."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Germany Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Germany Sun.
More InformationDUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland has set a record as unemployment fell to 3.8 percent in May, according to the Central Statistics ...
WARSAW, Poland: Plans are underway in Poland to gradually raise the minimum wage twice in 2024. The wage plan has ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's homeowners and businesses expect to see still more reductions in the cost of natural gas as the ...
BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The following are the central parity rates of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, ...
© Provided by Xinhua A debt default by the United States would have a catastrophic knock-on effect around the world, ...
NEW YORK, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar suffered substantial losses on Thursday as disappointing economic data in the ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland has set a record as unemployment fell to 3.8 percent in May, according to the Central Statistics ...
PORTLAND, Maine: Fishermen in the US's only commercial-scale fishing industry for valuable baby eels, called elvers, have recorded a productive ...
WARSAW, Poland: Plans are underway in Poland to gradually raise the minimum wage twice in 2024. The wage plan has ...
BEIJING, China: China will put into commercial operation its first large passenger airliner, in a bid to challenge western plane ...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's homeowners and businesses expect to see still more reductions in the cost of natural gas as the ...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, has said the company could consider leaving Europe if it could ...