'Russia must not win this war,' says Germany's Scholz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged once again to stand with Ukraine against Russia - but said Ukraine's bid to join the EU cannot be sped up.
Scholz said the war in Ukraine was the greatest crisis facing the EU in its history, but that solidarity was strong.
"We are all united by one goal: Russia must not win this war, Ukraine must prevail," Scholz said in the speech to the Bundestag on Thursday.
Putin thinks he can use bombs to dictate the terms for peace, the SPD politician said.
"He's wrong. He was wrong in judging the unity of Ukrainians, and the determination of our alliances. Russia will not dictate peace because the Ukrainians won't accept it and we won't accept it."
Scholz said it was only when Putin understands that he cannot break Ukraine's defence capability that he would "be prepared to seriously negotiate peace".
For this, he said, it is important to strengthen Ukraine's defences.
Scholz also pledged to help cut Europe free from its reliance on Russian energy.
The Chancellor welcomed the accession of Finland and Sweden to Nato. "With you at our side, Nato, Europe will become stronger and safer," he said.
However, Scholz dampened expectations for Ukraine's quick accession to the EU.
"There are no shortcuts on the way to the EU," Scholz said, adding that an exception for Ukraine would be unfair to the Western Balkan countries also seeking membership.
"The accession process is not a matter of a few months or years," he said.
Scholz had in April called for Western Balkan countries' efforts to join the EU to be accelerated amid a "new era" in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Last October, EU leaders at a summit in Slovenia only reiterated their "commitment to the enlargement process" in a statement that disappointed the six candidates for EU membership -- Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo - who had hoped for a concrete timetable.
"For years, they have been undertaking intensive reforms and preparing for accession," Scholz said on Thursday.
"It is not only a question of our credibility that we keep our promises to them. Today more than ever, their integration is also in our strategic interest," he said.
The Chancellor said he would be attending the EU summit at the end of May "with the clear message that the Western Balkans belong in the European Union".
France's President Emmanuel Macron has also said it will take "decades" for a candidate like Ukraine to join the EU, and suggested building a broader political club beyond the bloc that could also include Britain.
Financial boost for Ukraine
Meanwhile, Germany said it would contribute one billion euros to shore up the Ukrainian government's finances, as G7 ministers met to discuss further support for Kyiv in the face of the Russian invasion.
The G7 were coordinating "commitments to finance the government functions of the Ukraine", German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said at a press conference following the first day of the meeting in Germany.
Germany "will make one billion euros available to the Ukrainians in grants," Lindner said, in addition to a $7.5-billion pledge from the United
States in the process of being approved by legislators.
Lindner said he expected "further steps forward" to be made before the end of the meeting on Friday.
The war has blown a hole in Ukraine's finances, with tax revenue having fallen sharply.
Kyiv needed a "double-digit billion euro" figure to keep essential services going, Lindner said earlier in the day ahead of the meeting in Königswinter, near Bonn.
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Scholz said the war in Ukraine was the greatest crisis facing the EU in its history, but that solidarity was strong.
"We are all united by one goal: Russia must not win this war, Ukraine must prevail," Scholz said in the speech to the Bundestag on Thursday.
Putin thinks he can use bombs to dictate the terms for peace, the SPD politician said.
"He's wrong. He was wrong in judging the unity of Ukrainians, and the determination of our alliances. Russia will not dictate peace because the Ukrainians won't accept it and we won't accept it."
Scholz said it was only when Putin understands that he cannot break Ukraine's defence capability that he would "be prepared to seriously negotiate peace".
For this, he said, it is important to strengthen Ukraine's defences.
Scholz also pledged to help cut Europe free from its reliance on Russian energy.
The Chancellor welcomed the accession of Finland and Sweden to Nato. "With you at our side, Nato, Europe will become stronger and safer," he said.
However, Scholz dampened expectations for Ukraine's quick accession to the EU.
"There are no shortcuts on the way to the EU," Scholz said, adding that an exception for Ukraine would be unfair to the Western Balkan countries also seeking membership.
"The accession process is not a matter of a few months or years," he said.
Scholz had in April called for Western Balkan countries' efforts to join the EU to be accelerated amid a "new era" in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Last October, EU leaders at a summit in Slovenia only reiterated their "commitment to the enlargement process" in a statement that disappointed the six candidates for EU membership -- Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo - who had hoped for a concrete timetable.
"For years, they have been undertaking intensive reforms and preparing for accession," Scholz said on Thursday.
"It is not only a question of our credibility that we keep our promises to them. Today more than ever, their integration is also in our strategic interest," he said.
The Chancellor said he would be attending the EU summit at the end of May "with the clear message that the Western Balkans belong in the European Union".
France's President Emmanuel Macron has also said it will take "decades" for a candidate like Ukraine to join the EU, and suggested building a broader political club beyond the bloc that could also include Britain.
Financial boost for Ukraine
Meanwhile, Germany said it would contribute one billion euros to shore up the Ukrainian government's finances, as G7 ministers met to discuss further support for Kyiv in the face of the Russian invasion.
The G7 were coordinating "commitments to finance the government functions of the Ukraine", German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said at a press conference following the first day of the meeting in Germany.
Germany "will make one billion euros available to the Ukrainians in grants," Lindner said, in addition to a $7.5-billion pledge from the United
States in the process of being approved by legislators.
Lindner said he expected "further steps forward" to be made before the end of the meeting on Friday.
The war has blown a hole in Ukraine's finances, with tax revenue having fallen sharply.
Kyiv needed a "double-digit billion euro" figure to keep essential services going, Lindner said earlier in the day ahead of the meeting in Königswinter, near Bonn.
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