Miranda Murray, Paul Carrel, and Miranda Murray

BERLIN (Reuters] – Europe is going to end Russia’s energy dependency, but it must do so immediately or risk a severe recession. This was the statement by Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor.

Scholz made a cautious speech in parliament’s budget speech. He was more careful about Germany’s dependence on Russia for energy than his ministers who left the door open to energy sanctions, even if it is only theoretical.

“Yes, this dependency will be ended as soon as it is possible,” Scholz said to the Bundestag lower house of parliament. Scholz said that to move this forward from one day into the next would be to plunge our country and Europe into recession.” Scholz spoke to the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament.

He said that hundreds of thousands of jobs could be at risk. “Whole industries could be in danger,” he stated. “Sanctions are not meant to hurt European nations more than Russia’s leadership.

The chancellor assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who addressed the Bundestag https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-urges-germany-tear-down-wall-between-peace-strife-europe-2022-03-17 last week, of Germany’s support for his country and said sanctions were hurting Russia. He demanded that Ukraine cease fire immediately.

Scholz’s focus was primarily domestic when he took power last December but he quickly pivoted to a more assertive foreign policy https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-forces-germany-step-up-role-global-power-2022-02-27 when the Ukraine crisis erupted, announcing a dramatic hike in military spending.

Putin must hear the truth regarding the conflict in Ukraine. The truth is that the war in Ukraine is ruining Ukraine. Scholz explained to the legislators that Putin was also at the root of the current war.

He said that there was no evidence “that Putin does not just want a dictatorial peace” and added that Berlin would help Ukraine find a political solution.

Scholz stated that the European Union should support Western Balkan states in their quest to join the bloc. This is part of the strategy it has to ensure regional peace.

Many Balkans residents doubt that the EU has kept its promise 18 years ago to accept Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina into the bloc.