Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated the Russian military had shot dozens of civilians to death in the city of Bucha, including children. He demanded access for the International Committee of the Red Cross. The war crimes committed there needed to be documented.
Burgas, Bulgaria, April 4th, 2022 (The Berlin Spectator) — “President Putin attacked a country that did not threaten him”, Olaf Scholz said at an election campaign event organized by his Social-Democrats (SPD) in the city of Essen in North Rhine-Westphalia this past weekend. The Russian President’s territorial claims were based on “imperialistic visions from past centuries”, the Chancellor stated.
‘Blood-Curdling Footage’
Germany was helping Ukraine financially and with its defense, Scholz told hundreds of people who were listening to his speech outdoors, in spite chilly weather and snowfall. He was referring to weapons the Bundeswehr has sent to Ukraine. Putin had not expected the country to defend itself the way it did, Scholz said. He had thought everyone was just going to watch, but this was not the case. “There is unity among democratic states”, the chancellor stated. The European Union had put in place “hard sanctions” to end the war.
On Sunday, Scholz accused the Russian army of war crimes. The chancellery released a statement in which he said footage of terrible, blood-curdling footage from Ukraine had been received. Dozens of civilians had been shot to death in Bucha, a city located near Kiev that had been controlled by the Russian military until a few days ago. The streets there were littered with the bodies of the victims. They included women, children and elderly persons.
‘Terrible, Senseless War’
“We need to solve these crimes that were committed by the Russian military”, Scholz stated. “I demand access to those areas for international organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, so that they can document those atrocities independently. “The perpetrators and the ordering party need to be brought to justice”, the Chancellor stressed.
“The war is now in its sixth week. Thousands of Ukrainians have already become its victims. And the killing is continuing unabatedly”, Scholz’ statement continued. “I am calling on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and to stop the fighting. This is a terrible, senseless war without any justification, one that causes a lot of grief and does not benefit anyone”, the Chancellor said. “It has to stop.”
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‘Cruel War Crimes’
In an interview with the German ‘Bild’ tabloid, Kiev’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said what had happened in Bucha and other suburbs of his city needed to be called genocide. He accused Vladimir Putin of being personally responsible. “These are cruel war crimes”, Klitschko was quoted as saying.
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