Germany sets conditions for lifting sanctions on Russia

May 5, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz revealed that Ukraine will decide for Germany – and possibly both the EU and the US – on sanctions against Russia.

RT reported, in an interview with the Hamburg-based freelance weekly Stern, Prime Minister Scholz argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin “Imagine a peace where he would be able to dictate to the heads of Ukraine, but instead he would have to strike a deal with Ukraine.”

“We will only be able and willing to withdraw our sanctions under the agreement with Ukraine. I don’t think many people in the Kremlin have understood that. This has serious consequences for Russia,” added Prime Minister Scholz.

In this particular case, it’s not clear whether the “we” Mr. Scholz meant Germany or the European Union and the US. However, in another part of the interview, Scholz asserted that under his leadership Germany would always move “in (a) convoy” with its allies.

Chancellor Scholz also said that Germany and its partners had “advised and supported” Ukraineeven diplomatically”, but cannot and will not make decisions for Kiev about Ukraine’s fate.

“It’s Ukraine’s business. Only the president, parliament and their citizens can conclude an agreement with Russia,” the German chancellor said.

Mr. Scholz noted Western support for Kiev for what he described as Ukraine “can sustain resistance to Russia much longer than Putin calculated”, but noted that Germany and the other countries like “walking on a tightrope” while supporting Ukraine while avoiding “a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia”.

In the same interview, Mr. Scholz seemed to at one point define the West’s goal in the conflict as “saving lives, ending the war, rebuilding Ukraine and ensuring sovereignty,” but later agreed with him. “Russia must not win, Ukraine must not lose”.

Scholz’s comments come amid a diplomatic spat between Berlin and Kiev, stemming from Ukraine’s refusal to welcome German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. President Steinmeier was supposed to visit Ukraine in mid-April, but did not make the trip. While Mr. Steinmeier said only that he appeared “unwelcome” in Kiev, German tabloids cited unnamed Ukrainian officials as saying the German president was too close to Russia.

In a related development, on May 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited both Prime Minister Scholz and President Steinmeier to visit Kiev.