Refugees from Ukraine flee to Germany. Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany EU debates!!!

Russia’s war in Ukraine has produced millions of refugees. The UN estimates more than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine so far. Over 200,000 have arrived in Germany. They’re worried about their friends and loved ones back in Ukraine.

The first 134 of 2,500 Ukrainian refugees who Germany promised to admit from Moldova arrived on Friday as part of broader European plans to help Ukraine's neighbours look after those fleeing the Russian invasion.

The government of Moldova, one of Europe's poorest and smallest countries, had appealed for help to deal with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees straining critical infrastructure.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock committed to taking in some refugees during a trip to Moldova two weeks ago and was at Frankfurt airport on Friday to welcome the first arrivals.

"We are in a situation where as of today, already 4 million people have fled from Ukraine and we need to assume that this is going to go up to 8 to 10 million. And none of the border countries can shoulder this alone," Baerbock said.

In the month since Moscow invaded, Russian troops have met stiff resistance and failed to capture any major city, but around a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people have been driven from their homes, 3.7 million going to other countries.

Other countries were joining Germany to fly refugees out of Moldova, she said.

"We have now been assured of agreements to take 14,000 people across Europe."

Germany has so far recorded around 250,000 Ukrainian refugees, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday.

"Ukraine's neighbouring countries cannot do this alone. They need our support and above all they need European support and we see that this air bridge can work," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine may not be “a short matter”, but “a longer confrontation”, so unsustainable measures such as an energy embargo against Russia must be avoided. Thus, the current sanctions are designed to inflict the greatest possible damage to the Russian economy while being “bearable” for European countries, he said at a press conference in Berlin with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
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Scholz noted that Germany is not the only country that depends on Russia for the supply of natural gas or coal, but predicted that if the goal of diversifying energy sources is achieved, the result would be equivalent to enacting an energy embargo against Moscow. “We have to buy energy from friends and not enemies; otherwise we are paying for the war,” said Metsola, who confirmed however that not all European countries are currently in a position to be independent of Russian imports. “The green agenda is no longer addressed only from a climate perspective, but from security,” he said, stressing the importance of achieving “strategic independence” of the European Union (EU) in this regard.

Asked about the Polish proposal to exclude Russia from the G20, the German Chancellor stated that it is not a matter that can be decided “individually”, but that it must be put to all members. However, the organization of industrialized and developing countries is currently busy with other issues, he said.

“We need direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine that go beyond what we see now,” he argued, and also pointed to the urgency of agreeing “an immediate ceasefire.” Scholz received Metsola, on her first official visit to Berlin as President of the European Parliament, to discuss the issues that will be discussed during the European Council to be held next week in Brussels. Among these, both cited the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, coordination to accommodate refugees fleeing war and rising energy prices.

“The unjustifiable Russian invasion has changed everything,” said Metsola, who indicated that we need to go beyond sanctions and demonstrate to Russian President Vladimir Putin “that war will come at a price that cannot be imagined.” The President of the European Parliament also met in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bundestag Vice-President Katrin Göring-Eckardt.

Germany on Tuesday reiterated its opposition to energy sanctions on Russia, warning that it could have negative consequences for European economies.

Speaking at a joint news conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said European countries should carefully asses the suggested measures.

“Sanctions should have an effect on the aggressor, but at the same time, we should make sure that they have minimal repercussions for our economies, and we should be able to uphold them,” he said.