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Scholz declines to say if he would share a table with Putin at G20 summit
"We will decide on that if the matter arises," he said in an interview with ZDF public television. "It would be unwise to do anything else."
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are seen ahead of their meeting over Ukraine security at the Kremlin, in Moscow, on February 15, 2022. The Kremlin earlier confirmed a pullback of some Russian forces from Ukraine's borders but said the move was planned and stressed Russia would continue to move troops across the country as it saw fit. (AFP/Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik )
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to answer when asked if he would sit at a table with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a G20 summit Indonesia is hosting later this year.
"We will decide on that if the matter arises," he said in an interview with ZDF public television. "It would be unwise to do anything else."
Scholz also said the sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine will not be lifted until Moscow reaches a peace agreement with Ukraine, adding that it was for Ukraine to determine the peace terms.
Scholz, said Russian President Vladimir Putin had miscalculated if he had anticipated he might be able to gain territory from Ukraine, declare an end to hostilities, and see Western countries drop sanctions.
"He didn't think his entire Ukraine operation through," Scholz said. "He didn't think Ukraine would resist like that. He didn't think we would support them to hold out for so long. ... We won't withdraw the sanctions unless he reaches an agreement with Ukraine, and he won't get that with a dictated peace."
He also said Germany would not accept Russia's annexation of Crimea. "That was a breach of international law ... that remains true," he said.
Scholz added that he had no plans to visit Kyiv after a planned trip by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was dropped due to Ukraine's objections.
Scholz rejected criticism that he was at first too hesitant to send Ukraine heavy weapons, followed by criticism from pacifists after Germany last week announced the delivery of "Gepard" anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine.
"There's no point in doing something just because someone is shouting or not doing something because someone is shouting," Scholz said, adding that protecting the country and keeping peace was his duty as chancellor.
Scholz is under pressure both at home and abroad to supply Ukraine with heavy arms such as tanks and howitzers and support an immediate EU embargo on Russian energy imports to strip Putin of hard currency that helps him finance the war.
