The West must prepare for the protracted conflict in Ukraine – Scholz

German chancellor has suggested that even after hostilities end, things will not return to normal overnight

The West should prepare for a protracted conflict in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned. He predicted that even after the fighting has stopped, the consequences of the confrontation will linger.

At a meeting organized by the Rheinische Post newspaper in Düsseldorf on Monday, Scholz stated that “we have to prepare for it to last for a long time,” adding that “even when the war is over, everything will not be normal d “one day at a time”.

“We have to realize that this terrible war of aggression and its aftermath will keep us busy for a long time, and that we will have to deal with cleaning up the debris for a long time,” Scholz said.

Despite his prediction, Scholz argued that Berlin should not be deterred from working to end hostilities as soon as possible and claimed that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine was the key prerequisite for a “just peace”.

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In an apparent attempt to ease public concern about his handling of the crisis, Scholz insisted his government was “not acting recklessly”. The Rheinische Post interpreted the comment as an indication from the chancellor that he was against arms deliveries to Ukraine becoming “too extensive”.

Outlining his government’s goals in Ukraine, Scholz said Germany would like to see a situation where Kiev can “regain its security”.

The chancellor also claimed to hold regular phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, lasting up to an hour and a half. Scholz added that they sometimes speak in German, although they also use an interpreter. According to the chancellor, although Putin is always polite, there are big differences of opinion between the pair.

Instead, Scholz claimed that he shares a “common political concept” with US President Joe Biden, as he praised the US leader.

Scholz continued to insist that the European Union is more united than it may appear to outside observers, but maintained that the bloc should scrap its principle of unanimity when making major decisions.

A single country should not be able to “stop everything” as “not everyone always agrees” on all issues, Scholz argued, adding that “we cannot leave all the institutional structures as they are “.

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