Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that establishing a ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian war is not a way out of the current situation.
“It is also reckless to suggest a ceasefire now because to establish a ceasefire at this point in time would essentially condone all of the injustice that has already taken place. A ceasefire now would mean that Russia would keep for its own the territory it has occupied. And its breach of borders, its flouting of international law and its land grabbing would all receive and official blessing. That cannot be the aim of a ceasefire,” he said in an interview with DW on Tuesday.
He also called Russia’s attacks on the Ukrainian civilian population and critical infrastructure a part of the Russian war strategy. “Not only do we have a brutal war of invasion being waged against the Ukrainian Army but also, and this is becoming clearer as winter approaches, a brutal attack on critical infrastructure and with that of course on the civilian population […] And these are not a coincidental side effects but rather it looks as if they are in fact the aim of Russian attacks, and that part of Russia’s strategy is to hit the civilian population to grind down the entire country. And that is what our solidarity has to stand up to, and that is why we have to help, to guarantee these people survive the coming winter,” said Steinmeier.
