Given Germany's history, we should be on Ukraine's side – Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called support for Ukraine a matter of Germany's historical responsibility during his speech on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the failed assassination attempt on Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler.

Source: European Pravda, citing Spiegel

Quote: "In view of our own history, there can only be one place for Germany in this situation: at Ukraine's side. We cannot celebrate this 20 July in 2024 without thinking of the brave citizens of Ukraine who have resisted the criminal Russian war of aggression for more than two years."

Details: Speaking about Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the German chancellor stressed that there is an ongoing war "with which Russia's ruler explicitly pursues the goal of conquering Ukraine and destroying it as a sovereign country – 79 years after the end of the World War II and 79 years after the United Nations Charter came into force".

Scholz separately urged Germans to be vigilant in defending democracy.

"Democracy depends on citizens getting involved, treating each other with respect and opposing all forms of misanthropy and extremism. Those who fight against our democracy will always face our resolute resistance," the chancellor stressed.

For reference: On 20 July 1944, Wehrmacht officers led by Count Claus von Stauffenberg made a vain attempt to kill Hitler with explosives and overthrow the National Socialist regime. Hitler survived and continued the war that Germany had started for over nine months.

Background: 

• The German chancellor had previously stressed that he would continue supporting Ukraine, despite acknowledging that it was a factor in the decline of his government's popularity.
• At the same time, Scholz has set some red lines in this support, including the supply of long-range Taurus missiles and the shooting down of Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine.

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