FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged continued Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, saying on Saturday that Germany would not let up in its efforts to back Kyiv.
Speaking at a gathering of European social democrats in Bucharest, Scholz said the best way to prevent any escalation, including a potential conflict between Russia and NATO, was what he called effective deterrence.
“The war in Ukraine ends the moment that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin decides to withdraw his troops. However, he will only take that decision if he realizes that he cannot win the war on the battlefield,” said the German leader, whose country has so far provided 28 billion euros ($30.3 billion) in military support to Ukraine.
“Therefore we are investing more in our own security and defence jointly as Europeans so that no one dares to attack us. This also means putting narrow self-interest aside and building a strong and truly European defence industry.”
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(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Christoph Steitz; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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