German Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched a strong defence of Ukraine saying a peace deal to end the three-year Russian invasion cannot be imposed on Kyiv.
“There will only be peace if Ukraine’s sovereignty is secured,” he said on the second day of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
“A dictated peace will therefore never find our support,” added Scholz, in a rebuke to United States President Donald Trump who recently held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, without the participation of the Ukrainians.
The German leader, who faces a tough election at home next week, said Berlin will not accept “any solution” of the protracted conflict that only leads to a “decoupling” of European and US security.
“Only one person would benefit from this: President Putin,” he said.
His comments came as European leaders have been trying to make sense of a tough new line from the new US administration on Ukraine’s future.
Earlier this week, Trump announced he had held a phone call with Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to meet soon to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
The American president and his top security and diplomatic officials also hinted that in order for the war to end Ukraine must accept most of Russia’s demands – including Kyiv giving up its Crimean territory taken by Moscow and abandoning its bid to join the NATO alliance.
Trump later assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he, too, would have a seat at the table for peace talks.
Armed forces of Europe
Zelenskyy said on Saturday it would be “dangerous” if Trump met Putin before meeting him, and that Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back or without Kyiv’s involvement, in an implicit message to the US president as he strives to end the war with Russia.
Zelenskyy also said he would only agree to meet in person with Putin after a common plan is negotiated with Trump. “A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at the table. That says a lot.”
On Saturday, Scholz said that to ensure Russia would not attack again if peace is reached, Kyiv’s backers “first of all” needed to build up Ukraine’s armed forces in the future.
“There will be a responsibility in the post-war times for Europe and for the United States and for the international partners and friends of Ukraine to make this happen,” he said.
Ramping up his desire for a more muscular and mighty Europe, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s three-year fight against an invading Russian army proved a foundation exists for the creation of a European army that has long been discussed among some continental leaders.
“I really believe that time has come. The armed forces of Europe must be created,” said Zelenskyy.
‘No cooperation’ with far right
Meanwhile, Scholz rejected foreign interference in German elections after US Vice President JD Vance attacked how governments in Europe seek to counter bids for political influence by far-right groups such as Germany’s Alternative for Germany AfD.
Germany “will not accept outsiders intervening in our democracy, in our elections. That is not appropriate – especially not among friends and allies,” he said after Vance’s criticism.
“We are absolutely clear that the extreme right should stay outside the political decision-making process and there would be no cooperation with them,” Scholz later told reporters.
“Never again fascism, never again racism, never again aggressive war. That is why an overwhelming majority in our country opposes anyone who glorifies or justifies criminal National Socialism,” Scholz said, referring to the ideology of Adolf Hitler’s 1933-45 Nazi regime.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also defended European policies after Vance’s speech.
“Freedom of expression is guaranteed in Europe,” Barrot said on X, after Vance alleged it was “in retreat”. “Nobody is obliged to adopt our model, but nobody can impose theirs on us.”
On Friday, Vance launched a broadside against Europe and Germany in particular, accusing both of limiting free speech by excluding parties that voice strong concerns over immigration, including the far-right AfD. Vance later met AfD leader Alice Weidel.
Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats are currently third in the polls at about 15 percent before next week’s vote, behind AfD’s expected second-place finish at 20 percent and the conservative CDU/CSU bloc’s estimated 30 percent.
