German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the importance of keeping the path open for Ukraine to join the European Union and rejected suggestions that the country was to blame for its invasion by Russia, in a radio interview aired on Thursday, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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Asked if he shares U.S. President Donald Trump's view, in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Ukraine was to blame for the war, Scholz told the ARD public broadcaster: "It is not. We in Europe insist on this."
For this reason, he said, the EU is keeping its doors open to Ukraine as a potential member, adding: "Ukraine should not be restricted in its decision to become a democratic, sovereign state on its way to Europe.
In the event of a future peaceful settlement, Scholz said that Ukraine must have a strong army "for which we in Europe and our international and transatlantic partners share responsibility.
Europe is trying to find a response to Trump's war policy after high-level talks between the US and Russia left Ukraine and its European supporters on the sidelines, raising fears that the US leader may make concessions to Moscow to end the war, the newspaper points out.