German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated Berlin’s objections to the gas price cap being discussed in the European Union (EU) on Wednesday and said that «there are no immediate simple solutions» during an appearance before the Bundestag.
«For example, we cannot intervene in prices in such a way that too little gas is then supplied to Europe,» he argued, before defending the need to take such a view into consideration in order to reach an understanding at the EU Energy Council, which will continue work on a possible agreement on Wednesday.
He also expressed satisfaction with the great progress made in energy security, citing as an example the inauguration of the first floating liquefied gas terminal in Wilhelmshaven (north), scheduled for Saturday.
Scholz thanked all the workers and engineers involved for reaching «this great achievement» in record time. «It is also thanks to them that we are having a good winter this year,» the chancellor said.
On the other hand, he has assured that the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has not achieved his goals in the invasion of Ukraine and has stressed that «not one of his plans has worked». Scholz pointed out that the Russian president made a miscalculation when he started the war because he thought that his troops would take the country in a few days in view of a possible division in the West regarding the delivery of aid to Kiev.
«He thought he could dry up the solidarity of Europe by turning off the gas tap,» he said, before indicating that Putin «was wrong about the courage of the Ukrainians, about Europe, about the character of democracies and the will to resist against the mania and imperialism of a super power.»
Putin gave the order to invade Ukraine days after recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, located in the Donbas and the scene of a conflict since 2014. Moscow announced in September the annexation of these two regions along with those of Kherson and Zaporiyia, partially occupied after the beginning of the war.
