Röttgen alleges that Scholz instills fear among the populace
Critics often slam Chancellor Scholz for his hesitant approach to providing weapons to Ukraine. CDU politician Röttgen takes it a step further, accusing him of frequently backing down due to pressure from Moscow. As a result, the desire among Germans to provide weapons is dwindling.
In an interview with "Der Spiegel", Röttgen blames Scholz's "alarmist language" for this decline. He pointed out that Scholz frequently dismisses support measures as too risky, as if Ukraine defending itself is the cause of conflict, not Russia's attack.
Röttgen believes it's unwise to echo the intimidating language of the warmonger and pass it off as the Chancellor's own view. "A Chancellor shouldn't let fear dictate his actions. He shouldn't use fear as the driving force behind his political decisions," Röttgen said.
In the same interview, Röttgen also cast doubt on the prospects of a swift peace between Russia and Ukraine. "Putin has once again made it clear that he sees no need for discussion from his perspective. Peace talks can only be successful when Putin realizes that war isn't advantageous. The West isn't doing enough to ensure this realization," Röttgen stated.
"There won't be a military solution. The solution will be political. But it requires a military foundation: it's not about retaking all Ukrainian territories. Instead, it's about Ukraine gaining the military advantage until Putin acknowledges: There's no more to gain through war. For that, Ukraine needs our consistent and effective support."
Röttgen critiques Scholz's approach, stating that his frequent caution in supply of arms to Ukraine due to pressure from Moscow is contributing to the decreasing desire among Germans to provide weapons. In the same interview, Röttgen critiques Scholz for often labeling support measures as too risky, implying that Ukraine's defense is the cause of conflict, not Russia's attack.
