Bundestag Defense Committee calls on Scholz to convene ‘National Conference on Ukraine’
Chairman of the German Bundestag Defense Committee Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to convene a "National Conference on Ukraine" as soon as possible to agree on further actions to help Ukraine, reports the news agency dpa.
The conference should be attended by representatives of the government, the Armed Forces of Germany, defense industry and trade unions, suggested Strack-Zimmermann. "The goal should be to draw up an orderly plan and initiate the next targeted steps in a mutually agreed manner," she writes in her letter to Scholz.
"While the Ukrainian army valiantly restrains the brutal Russian offensive and achieves military successes, including through our humanitarian, economic and military support, Russia continues to prepare for major offensives," the politician warned.
How long Ukraine will be able to defend itself and what success it will ultimately achieve" "especially depends on the support of Germany," Strack-Zimmermann continues, urging Germany to "take the lead in Europe" in supporting Ukraine.
As dpa notes, in May, when the German authorities could not agree on the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine, Strack-Zimmermann already appealed to the Chancellor to coordinate these issues. As a result, Germany began to supply equipment to Kyiv. According to dpa, Strack-Zimmermann is "one of the driving forces of the traffic light coalition" on this issue.
"It should not be the case that at the end of the war the world perceives the Federal Republic of Germany as an obstacle to the cause and a loser just because we are not able to get together and agree," Strack-Zimmermann said.