German Chancellor says he's convinced Russia will not win war in Ukraine
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he is convinced that Russia will not win the war in Ukraine.
“Our goal is very clear: Putin must not win his war,” Mr. Scholz said. “And of this I am convinced: he will not win.”
The German Chancellor added that even though Russia has nuclear weapons, that did not give the Kremlin the right to unilaterally redraw borders.
“That is imperialism, an attempt to blast us back to a time when war was a consistent instrument of politics,” he stated.
Schulz invoked the memory of World War II and the history of Nazi aggression. He explained that opposing Russia’s actions was about the system of international cooperation as a whole.
“The vow of ‘never again,’ is at stake,” he said.
He noted that Putin has suffered a strategic setback both on the battlefield and in the region, a remark reminiscent of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s words several days ago in Davos.
The German Chancellor explain that Russia’s actions have galvanized Europe, leading to much closer cooperation and unity among European leaders. It has also prompted Sweden and Finland to seek NATO membership, a move that Scholz would welcome.
“There will be no dictated peace,” he added. “Ukraine will not accept that, and neither will we.”