Olaf Solz: ‘Putin will not win the war in Ukraine’

LAST UPDATE: 20.50

German Chancellor Olaf Soltz, in a televised address to the German people on Sunday, May 8, marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, reassured Ukraine of Germany’s solidarity in its fight against the Russian invasion.

“Putin will not win this war. Ukraine will persist,” Soltz was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Solz said Germany would help Ukraine with humanitarian, economic and military aid.

“Vladimir Putin wants to subjugate Ukraine, to destroy its culture and identity,” said Chancellor Olaf Solz. win the war, while also expressing concern about the danger of its escalation.

“World War II claimed more than 60 million lives. The Germans committed this crime against humanity. It is even more painful to experience that today, 77 years after the end of the War, brutal violence is once again breaking the law in “In the heart of Europe, the Russian army is killing men, women and children in Ukraine, turning cities into ruins and attacking even those trying to escape,” Solz said in a statement.

This year, he stressed, May 8 is unlike any other previous anniversary. “In recent years, Germany has fought for reconciliation with the Ukrainians and the Russians, two peoples who at the time fought together to defeat the murderous German National Socialism,” Olaf Solz said. “Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to subjugate Ukraine, to destroy its culture and identity.”

The central German slogan for Nazism (“Never again!”) In the current situation can only mean that we stand for justice and freedom on the side of those who are under attack and we support Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor, the chancellor stressed in the proclamation. of. “Germany is helping to end the violence. There should be no peace dictated by Russia. The Ukrainians will not accept it – neither will we,” said Solz. “Freedom and security will triumph – just as freedom and security triumphed 77 years ago over freedom, violence and dictatorship.” To contribute to it in the best possible way means “never again!” and there is the legacy of May 8, the chancellor added emphatically.

In his speech, Olaf Solz also referred to the handover of weapons to Ukraine and the European Union’s congratulations to Russia, while thanking the Germans for their willingness to accept Ukrainian refugees. However, he also expressed concern about the danger of escalating the war and warned: “It would be our mistake not to take it into account.” At the same time, however, he notes, “we should not be paralyzed by fear” and reminded that he has vowed to prevent evil for the German people. One of the lessons of May 8 is that there should be no more world wars, he mentions and speaks of four principles that must be observed: “Germany must not dare to stand alone. German defense capability must be maintained. “The government will do nothing to harm Germany and its allies more than Russia. The German government will not take a decision that could turn NATO into a war zone.”

The German chancellor also described the fact that Vladimir Putin identifies his aggressive war with the struggle against National Socialism as “falsification of history and slander”.