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Soltz: German energy policy was wrong

In an interview with dpa, Chancellor Soltz called for a solution to the Ukrainian grain and a dialogue with Moscow. Support for Merkel’s “policy of reconciliation” with Russia.

Shortly after his trip to Kyiv and in view of a crucial ten-day period with an EU Summit (June 23 and 24), a G7 Summit at the Elmau Palace in Bavaria (June 26, 27 and 28) and finally a NATO Summit in Madrid (June 29 and 24) June 30), German Chancellor Olaf Solz gave an interview to the German news agency dpa. The interview was even conducted in English and was broadcast simultaneously by other international agencies, something that underlines its importance at the moment.

The focus was, of course, on the war in Ukraine and its wider consequences for Europe and the world. “It is clear now, and we will make it clear at the G7, that we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary,” the German chancellor reiterated. In fact, he has now officially confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also participate in the G7 Summit via teleconference.

Risk of global food crisis

One of the main topics of the interview was the threatening global food crisis, which according to experts could become the worst “hunger crisis” since World War II. According to Olaf Solz, at the G7, solutions will be sought to “unblock” Ukrainian grain from warehouses in the Black Sea through safe “grain” corridors.

“Russia must allow them to be transported safely and at the same time ensure that it does not use such a corridor for a (new) invasion. He emphasized that the decision was not a signal of a formal antitrust inquiry into Russia.

(Acriticism of German energy policy

In the energy field, just a few days after the reduction of gas flow to Germany and while the German government is working on various scenarios for the winter (including a return to coal but also a reduction in gas use in industry based on current leaks in the German media Olaf Soltz criticized German energy policy for decades.

“One mistake in Germany’s energy policy was that its energy supply was too focused on Russia, without having created the necessary infrastructure to change course in the event of a problem,” he said.

“Merkel was not wrong”

Olaf Solz also called for an end to Angela Merkel’s predecessor’s policy toward Russia and President Vladimir Putin, saying: “Efforts to reconcile can never be wrong, nor can trying to reconcile with each other peacefully.” .

In fact, the former chancellor gave an interview yesterday to the network Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, in which she once again defended her firm policy towards Moscow. She even explained that the issue for her was not “change through trade but the connection through trade relations with the second largest nuclear power in the world. However, Chancellor Olaf Solz, speaking to dpa, stressed that dialogue is” necessary “. with Moscow.

NATOSweden, Finland and Turkey

Finally, referring to the forthcoming NATO Summit in Madrid, where the key issue will be the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Alliance, as well as the threat of a Turkish veto, Olaf Solz said: “We will defend every inch of NATO territory together with the allies. “in case an ally is attacked.”

Dimitra Kyranoudi, Berlin

Source: Deutsche Welle

Source: Capital

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