The head of the German government Olaf Scholzcriticized for his alleged lack of leadership after the invasion of Ukraine, defended his policy on television on Sunday, assuring that he will not do “everything” that is asked of him.
“Simply, we do not do everything that is asked of us“, the chancellor said in a televised speech to mark the end of World War II.
“I swore in my office to prevent any harm to the German people (…) This it means protecting our country and our allies from danger”, added the Social Democrat, who has led a coalition together with the Greens and the Liberals since December.
Olaf Scholz was criticized by his opponents for delaying his authorization to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, where Russian fighting and attacks are raging, especially in the east.
Germany agreed on April 26 to supply Guepard anti-aircraft armored vehicles.
The government was criticized by the Ukrainian authorities but also for its rejection of the Russian gas embargo, on which the country is highly dependent, arguing that it would have very damaging consequences for its economy.
In his message, Scholz reaffirmed that Germany will not go alone in this conflict.
“Whatever we do, we work closely with our allies,” he insisted.
The leaders of the G7, which this year is chaired by Germany, met by videoconference on Sunday to discuss the conflict.
Olaf Scholz is also criticized for not having visited kyiv yet, as the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, did.