Scholz ahead of US visit: Russian victory in Ukraine would imperil us all

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned the public against a Russian victory in Ukraine and called for maintaining support for Kyiv in a column published in The Wall Street Journal ahead of his visit to the United States.

Scholz's column was published under the headline "A Russian Victory in Ukraine Would Imperil Us All".

In the article, the chancellor emphasised that the West must continue to support Kyiv, maintain the strength of NATO, and reject Putin's attempts to divide allies.

"Make no mistake: A Russian victory in Ukraine would not only be the end of Ukraine as a free, democratic and independent state, it would also dramatically change the face of Europe," Scholz said.

He added that the potential victory of the Russian Federation "would deal a severe blow to the liberal world order." Scholz stated, "The sooner Mr Putin understands that we are in this for the long haul, the sooner the war in Ukraine will end."

"Our message is clear: We have to do our utmost to prevent Russia from winning. If we don’t, we might soon wake up in a world even more unstable, threatening and unpredictable than it was during the Cold War," emphasised the Chancellor of Germany.

He warned that Ukraine could soon face a serious shortage of weapons and ammunition, and the long-term consequences and costs associated with the inability to stop Putin's aggression would overshadow any investments made by the West now.

"The only way that we can contribute to a lasting peace is by keeping up our support, unity and resolve," stressed Scholz.

On Thursday, Scholz is heading to Washington, where he will hold talks with Biden on 9 February.

Earlier, ahead of his visit to Washington, Scholz expressed hope that the US Congress would be able to approve the necessary financial support for Ukraine and called on Western countries to continue exerting pressure on Russia.

Before this, the White House announced that during the meeting, Biden and Scholz would "reaffirm their strong support for Ukraine's defence of its land and its people from Russia's war of aggression."