Ex-Chancellor Merkel does not want to comment on the situation in Ukraine at the moment. Her predecessor Schröder, on the other hand, addressed Russia in clear terms.
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) called on Russia to end the war and the associated suffering for the people of Ukraine as quickly as possible.
“That is the responsibility of the Russian government,” Schröder said on Thursday on his page on the online network LinkedIn. Russia’s security interests also do not justify the use of military means.
At the same time, Schröder emphasized that the political, economic and civil society ties between Europe and Russia should not be completely severed if sanctions are necessary. “Because these are – despite the current dramatic situation – the basis for a hope that we all have: that a dialogue about peace and security on our continent is possible again.”
Schröder is considered a longtime friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is also the head of the supervisory board at the Russian state energy company Rosneft and has management positions in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipeline projects. The natural gas pipelines through the Baltic Sea connect Russia and Germany, but the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 has now been put on hold by the federal government. Schröder recently caused a stir when, before the attack, he criticized Ukraine’s demands for arms deliveries as “saber rattling”.
Merkel does not want to comment
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) does not want to comment publicly on the Russian attack on Ukraine.
A public statement is not planned, it said on request from her environment. At the same time, it was emphasized that Merkel was of course following the developments with great sympathy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military operation in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions early Thursday morning. Attacks with warplanes, helicopters and missiles against military infrastructure were also reported from other parts of Ukraine.
Source: Stern
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