German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Putin has failed in all his strategic goals and will not dictate terms of peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not win the war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said, although he has stressed that the NATO military alliance will not become an active part of the conflict.
Speaking to a global business community attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, the German leader also said Putin had already failed in all his strategic goals.
The Russian leader “underestimated” the “determination and strength” of the Allies to counter their aggression on Ukraine, Scholz said. “Our goal is very clear: Putin should not win this war. And I am convinced he will not win it.”
Russia’s plan to capture all of Ukraine is “farther away than it was at the beginning” of its invasion, as Ukraine continues to put up an impressive defense, he said.
Scholz’s comments came as the war in Ukraine entered its fourth month and Russian troops made new attempts to seize territory in eastern Ukraine.
After failing to seize the Ukrainian capital Kyiv or its second city, Kharkiv, Russian forces are trying to gain full control of the eastern Donbas region and have also advanced south despite strong Ukrainian resistance and harshness. Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces had tried to storm the besieged industrial center of Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk on Thursday, the focal point of Moscow’s new offensive in the Donbas region.
“Putin will not dictate terms of peace”
Scholz, who has spoken to Putin several times since the invasion of Moscow, said: “Putin will only seriously negotiate peace when he realizes that he cannot break Ukraine’s defenses.”
Western allies, who have been arming Ukraine and imposing heavy sanctions on Russia, will continue to support Kyiv, he promised.
“It’s about making it clear to Putin that there will be no peace,” Scholz said. “Ukraine will not accept this and neither will we.”
Scholz has once again stressed that nothing will be done “to make NATO a party to the conflict because that would mean a direct confrontation between the nuclear powers.”
However, Finland and Sweden were encouraged to move closer to the military alliance, as the two nations agreed last week to apply for membership.
The chancellor added that Putin underestimated the unity and strength with which the major industrialized countries of the G7, NATO and the European Union had responded to his aggression.
Scholz, however, did not directly address Ukraine’s criticism that Germany was not advancing fast enough in supplying Kyiv with heavy weapons.
He only said that Germany’s support for Kyiv will continue to coordinate with the Allies.
Ukraine has urged Berlin to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons, including Leopard tanks and Marder armored vehicles.
At a separate session in Davos on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed frustration with the process: “I do not understand why it is so complicated, but I respect the situation in the German government and we are looking forward to seeing how that, the story is over. “
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, also noted at the economic forum of the Swiss ski resort that “everything works so slowly” in terms of weapons decisions.