Scholz delivered his comments at a ceremony to mark 70 years since the creation of the Eastern Committee of German Business (Ost-Ausschuss), a trade association, on Tuesday, Poland’s dorzeczy.pl website reported.
The chancellor said, as quoted by dorzeczy.pl: “One thing is certain: the relations that we had are currently reduced. But Russia, when it concludes the war, and Russian citizens, who are fighting for a different future for themselves, need to have the possibility to relaunch economic cooperation."
Scholz added that “this won’t happen now, because right now we are tightening sanctions,” dorzeczy.pl reported.
The German leader stressed that “through his war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has destroyed not only infrastructure, cities and villages in Ukraine, but also many human lives.”
Scholz went on to say: “Putin is also destroying Russia’s future. And he must justify it to his own country and to his own nation, whose future he is shaping in this way.”
Policy of 'appeasing' Moscow through economic ties 'was an illusion'
The chancellor’s remarks have drawn criticism from Ulrich Reitz, a journalist with the Focus weekly newspaper, according to dorzeczy.pl.
The Polish website quoted Reitz as saying that Berlin’s past policy of “appeasing” Moscow through economic ties “was an illusion, at best."
Reitz wrote, as cited by dorzeczy.pl: “It was rather a way to allow business leaders to strike big deals with the Soviet dictatorship with no questions asked by the authorities; who later actively supported this arrangement, especially the Social Democrats (SPD)."
Tuesday’s remarks by Scholz, who represents the SPD, sent a message to Russia and Germany’s business circles that the chancellor “is leaving the back door open for Russia,” dorzeczy.pl claimed, adding that, according to Reitz, this is "a dangerous message."
‘I will continue to talk to' Putin: Scholz
The Polish website reported that Scholz recently said that he and Putin had “totally different opinions” and that he would avoid the Kremlin leader.
Meeting voters in his constituency of Potsdam at the weekend, Scholz added, however, as quoted by dorzeczy.pl: “Nevertheless I will continue to talk to him [Putin] because I want to experience the moment when it will be possible to solve this situation. And it can’t be achieved if you don’t talk."
Thursday is day 295 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: dorzeczy.pl, focus.de