Ukraine and its allies need to prepare for a protracted military conflict with Russia. This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a speech at the 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 17. Event broadcast on the YouTube conference page.
Asked by CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour about whether the conflict could end in 2023, he replied that Germany was pursuing a strategy of long-term support for Ukraine.
“You need to understand: this will be a protracted war. And you need to convey to the president [России Владимиру] A message to Putin that we are ready to stand with Ukraine all this time and constantly support the country. At this conference, we can discuss the dates, but hardly anyone can name a specific month or year,” he said.
Answering the question of whether the German population will support the government’s intention to help Ukraine for as long as necessary, the German Chancellor answered in the affirmative, noting that Putin did not expect such a unity between Europe and the whole world, who condemned the Russian aggression at the UN and G20 levels.
“We are a democratic country, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not to continue all these packages of sanctions and supply more and more different systems to Ukraine, but the majority in the end agrees that the government must make a responsible decision and The population trusts our measures, and we understand that sometimes more needs to be done, but the main thing is that it should be done in solidarity, together with partners, friends, and especially with the United States,” the head of the German government added.
The Munich Security Conference is the main Western security forum. It has been held annually since 1962. One of the main themes of this year is theme of global security threats in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The conference will run from 17 to 19 February.
