Scholz called on the 27 EU members to rally their ranks.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Monday for the expansion EU, stressing that the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and, eventually, Georgia should join the bloc.
Faced with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Scholz called on the 27 EU members to “come together, resolve old conflicts and find new solutions” and said Germany would support Kyiv “as long as it takes,” Reuters reports.
U in a speech entitled “Europe is our future”, he said that “we must strengthen the influence of our united Europe more strongly… Europe is our future. And this future is in our hands.” However, “in this enlarged Union, differences between member states will grow in terms of political interests, economic influence and social security systems,” he said.
“Where unanimity is needed today, the risk of a single country exercising its veto and preventing the rest from moving forward increases with each additional member state,” Scholz added.
“That's why I proposed a gradual transition. to majority voting in the common foreign policy as well as in other areas such as tax policy, knowing full well that this will also have consequences for Germany,” he said.
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Germany will send weapons to Kyiv in the coming weeks, Scholz added in his speech at Charles University.
According to Scholz, in addition to sending advanced air defense systems, radar systems or drones, Germany can assume a special responsibility in terms of building up the potential of Ukraine's artillery and air defense.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock warned that the war in Ukraine could last for years, but promised that the government in Berlin will continue to provide financial and military support to Ukraine as long as necessary.
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“Of course, we would like the war to end as soon as possible, but, unfortunately, we have to assume that next summer Ukraine will still need new heavy weapons from friends,” Burbok said in an interview with the newspaper Bild am Sonntag. “Unfortunately, the Russian government has not given up its obsession with subjugating Ukraine and its people.”
