Photo: RTL
After the G7 summit, Chancellor Olaf Scholz answers questions from the press. But when it comes to concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, he suddenly shuts down.
Overshadowed by the war in Ukraine and its global consequences, the summit meeting of the G7 countries at Schloss Elmau came to an end on Tuesday. After more than half a dozen working sessions and numerous bilateral talks, host Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) used a press conference to provide information on the results of the summit – and to answer questions.
All questions? no way.
When it comes to the security guarantees of the G7 countries towards Ukraine, the chancellor suddenly gets snippy. Rosalia Romaniec, a journalist with Deutsche Welle, asked whether he could specify what guarantees the G7 would give Ukraine.
Scholz’ answer: “Yes, I could”. Break. “That’s it.”
Journalist on Olaf Scholz: “It’s a shame, Mr. Chancellor”
The chancellor is well known for his not always easy relationship with the press (). Instead of giving clear answers, Scholz – like his predecessor – tends to simply ignore uncomfortable questions, which did not initially earn him the accusation of arrogance among journalists.
However, the Chancellor himself had previously stressed the importance of the summit in times of war. The journalist Romaniec was disappointed that he then didn’t want to answer an important question and, above all, the way he did it: “It’s a real shame, Mr. Chancellor. When I learned German, the polite form was urgently recommended for press conferences”, . The question was meant very seriously.
G7 will help Ukraine for as long as necessary
And perfectly justified, if you look at Elmau’s key message to Kyiv: the G7 will help Ukraine as long as it is necessary.
In this context, the joint final declaration also mentions far-reaching security guarantees for the time after the war. It is ready “to reach agreements on sustainable security commitments together with interested countries and institutions and Ukraine in order to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future and ward off future Russian aggression,” it said.
In addition, the heads of state and government of the G7 put the decision on a peace agreement with Russia in Kiev’s hands alone. Ukraine will decide on a future peace settlement “free of external pressure or influence,” the statement said.
Criticism of Scholz’s dealings with a reporter
So it’s no wonder that Scholz’s snippy answer doesn’t go down well with other journalists and users online either. From “arrogant” and “impudent” to “not worthy of a host”, the reactions were mostly critical. “Incomprehensible what Chancellor Scholz got up to with this answer. But that’s not funny, it’s just arrogant towards a foreign journalist”, .
His colleague from the editorial network Germany (RND), Markus Decker, : “To treat a journalist who asks a completely justified question in a friendly tone so arrogantly – you just don’t do that. Neither as a person nor as a chancellor.”
More forgiving words come from the director of “Deutsche Welle”, Peter Limbourg, who tweeted Romaniecs: “Everything done right dear @RosaliaRomaniec – maybe the @Bundeskanzler will find a way to answer the question properly.”
Sources: “”, “”, ,
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
