A day before Germans go to the polls for the European Parliament elections, Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirmed his support for war-torn Ukraine.
“Russia will not get away with its imperialist plans,” the Social Democratic Chancellor (SPD) said in his weekly video message published on Saturday.
“Putin must realize that he cannot win his ruthless campaign. That there can only be a just peace for Ukraine.”
Polls ahead of Sunday’s vote show the SPD with around 15% of the vote – around the same number as for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Defeating the SPD would cement the AfD’s status as Germany’s second most popular party, behind the conservative CDU/CSU opposition.
Scholz on the international stage
Ahead of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy, which starts on Thursday, and a Swiss peace conference on Ukraine that starts on June 15, Scholz emphasized constant coordination with partners and allies.
He said he would promote a common position on Russia together with representatives from Asia, Africa and South America at the Swiss conference. It is important that countries adhere to international law and the United Nations Charter, he said.
“And that is why Russia must end its war of conquest.”
In a nod to some in Germany who worry about the expansion of Russia’s war in Ukraine to other parts of Europe, Scholz reiterated his position that with German support for Ukraine “we are not endangering peace here in Germany.”
