On a surprise visit to kyiv, Olaf Scholz positions himself as the chancellor of peace and supporter of restraint to avoid an escalation between the West and Russia.
Germany will deliver new military aid to Ukraine worth 650 million euros, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Monday morning during a surprise visit to kyiv. “Germany will remain Ukraine's main support in Europe,” assured the German head of government, campaigning for his re-election.
In view of the legislative elections on February 23, he positions himself as the chancellor of peace and supporter of restraint to avoid an escalation between the West and Russia. His last visit to Ukraine dates back to June 2022, notably in the company of French President Emmanuel Macron, a few months after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“For more than 1,000 days, Ukraine has been heroically defending itself against the ruthless Russian war of aggression,” he said in a statement sent by a spokesperson.
His visit aims to “express” his “solidarity” with kyiv, which can “count” on Berlin, he said.
Conservative Friedrich Merz in favor of delivering missiles to strike Russian territory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured Sunday that his country needed more weapons and security guarantees from NATO before possible negotiations with Russia. Tensions are at their highest between Moscow and the West after strikes by Ukraine of American and British missiles on Russian soil and the firing by Russia of an experimental hypersonic missile and nuclear threats. And calls to begin negotiations with Moscow are becoming more pressing.
Saturday during a speech marking his entry into the campaign, Olaf Scholz, social democratic candidate, promised to keep a “cool head” on the subject of the war between Russia and Ukraine, denouncing the hawkish overtones of his conservative opponent Friedrich Merz, supporter of increased aid to Ukraine. Friedrich Merz is in favor under certain conditions of a delivery of German Taurus missiles to kyiv, making it possible to strike deep into Russian territory. A red line for Olaf Scholz, who opposes his American, French and British allies on this point, in a pacifist country crossed by a significant pro-Russian current of opinion.
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