Putin’s visit
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at his big annual summer press conference in Berlin that a possible visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Germany could happen once the Russian military special operation in Ukraine ends.
Scholz also added that a peace agreement should be concluded between Moscow and Kyiv and that “peace should not be forced”.
“As for the question of when Putin will come again. [может оказаться] In Germany, I haven’t thought about it yet. I think one thing is absolutely clear: this [специальная военная операция] It needs to be completed,” he said.
According to the politician, it was military actions in Ukraine that led to the imposition of sanctions on Russia from many countries and increased spending on the Bundeswehr – “So Germany is armed and ready for any attack.”
“This is why we support Ukraine with weapons. What should happen now – and that’s the task we’re talking about right now – Russia needs to understand that it has to come to an agreement with Ukraine, and that this should not lead to a forced peace … This should not happen and will happen. No, I’m sure of that. These are the tasks we are talking about right now.”
According to Scholz, Russia “thinks in terms of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, follows an imperial policy and “sees it possible to attack a neighboring country and seize some of its territory”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously stated that “all Russians “He said he was in charge of special ops.
The head of the German government flew to Moscow on February 15.
Turbine and Shredder
Olaf Scholz also said Russia should “stop resorting to misleading arguments” and buy the Siemens turbine for the Nord Stream gas pipeline. According to him, the mechanism is ready to be sent to Russia.
A journalist asked Scholz if he saw former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who visited Moscow in July and met with Putin, as a useful intermediary. Schroeder said it was necessary to start operating Nord Stream 2 after the July visit.
“I don’t know. Speaking of the turbine, I made sure everyone could see it, know it was ready, so that there would be no fortune telling. That would be useful: stop saying you don’t want it with misleading arguments, take it, here it is!” said Scholz.
At the same time, the politician noted that the reduction in the volume of Russian gas and oil supplies shows that Germany’s decision to reduce dependence on them was correct. According to the Chancellor, it is necessary to do this “so that everyone knows there is a problem – the energy supply.”
According to Scholz, Germany can no longer rely on the proposals of the last decades, which have always said that Russia will not stop gas exports no matter what.
The Chancellor reminded that Berlin plans to completely abandon fossil fuels and expand the use of renewable energy sources, but at the same time work to ensure that the government does not face a critical situation in the field of gas supply.
Since 27 July, the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which supplies gas from Russia to Europe, is used at about 20% of its maximum capacity due to the shutdown of two gas turbines.
Aid Plan for Ukraine
Olaf Scholz said at a press conference that restoring Ukraine’s infrastructure and housing stock would cost billions of dollars and would be bigger than the Marshall Plan.
He stressed that peace with Russia is only in the hands of the Ukrainians.
“We must also address the issue of infrastructure, restoration of buildings and institutions. This is dramatic destruction, it will cost billions. <…> “This is a huge task, more than that, which is very vaguely described as the “Marshall Plan,” the Chancellor said.
The Marshall Plan is a program of US aid to WWII-ravaged Europe.