German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on the United States and Europeans to work together to support Ukraine, and stressed that if this is not done, many people will wake up in a threatening and unpredictable world, worse than during the Cold War. This is stated in the author's publication of the German politician in the edition of The Wall Street Journal, reports UNN.
Our message is clear: we must do everything we can to prevent Russia from winning. If we don't, we could soon wake up to a world that is even more unstable, threatening, and unpredictable than it was during the Cold War.
Scholz reminded that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the German government has allocated, purchased and delivered military equipment, including tanks, artillery and high-value air defense systems, worth more than $30 billion. According to the German Chancellor, this is in addition to Germany's non-military support, including the reception of more than a million Ukrainian refugees, and our share of EU support.
However, in the near future, despite Germany's support, Ukraine may face a serious shortage of weapons. The consequences of failing to stop Mr. Russia's aggression would dwarf any investment Germany is making now, he said.
Scholz pointed out the main steps that are important to take:
First, we must maintain our support. On February 1, the European Council decided to provide Ukraine with an additional $54 billion in financial assistance over the next four years. This is to be complemented by additional military assistance, and I have called on my European colleagues to make the necessary budgetary decisions. Like the United States and others, Germany stands ready to provide Kyiv with long-term security commitments and arrangements so that Ukraine can deter and defend itself against future Russian attacks.
The German chancellor noted that a highly industrialized country and potential EU member, such as Ukraine, will be able to maintain a well-equipped modern army, a prospect that "increases the security of all of us," Scholz said.
Secondly, as the politician noted, "we must continue to move in a strategic direction on both sides of the Atlantic".
Mr. Putin is trying to undermine our unity and turn our citizens against supporting Ukraine. Others around the world are watching closely to see if these divisions can be exploited and if disinformation campaigns can take hold. We must prove them wrong by convincing citizens on both sides of the Atlantic that a Russian victory would make the world a much more dangerous place
Scholz added that such a threat would drain budgets and "jeopardize the freedom and prosperity of each of us.
The third aspectthat German politicians have determined is that Germany and the EU countries should avoid confrontation with Russia:
Thirdly, we do not see ourselves in a state of war with Russia and do not seek confrontation with it. We will resist any attempts to involve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.
Fourthly, according to Scholz, NATO's collective deterrence and defense must be credible. He mentioned that Germany has significantly increased defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product, and the country has launched the European Sky Shield initiative to strengthen European air defense capabilities; it has deployed a German combat brigade on NATO's eastern flank.
The sooner Mr. Putin realizes that we are in this for the long haul, the sooner the war in Ukraine will end.
Recall
"Glimmers of hope": The NYT assessed the possibility of moving forward with an aid package for Ukraine in the US Senate. Despite the delay, there were hopes that the aid package for Ukraine and Israel in the Senate would eventually move forward.
Due to the lack of assistance from the United States, Russia is taking advantage of the fact that Ukrainian air defense systems and ammunition are gradually being depletedand is increasing the number of attacks on Ukrainian positions and settlements. John Kirby, coordinator of the White House National Security Council, told reporters on Wednesday.