04:37German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he opposed any ceasefire involving 'Ukraine's surrender', during a parliamentary session at the Bundestag in Berlin on Wednesday.
"In my view, a ceasefire that involves Ukraine's surrender is one that we should never support from Germany," Scholz said. He highlighted a recent proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, characterising it as 'cynical'
"This shows how cynical the thinking is and that the Russian president has no intention of ending his aggressive war but is just using words to continue the war. We won't tolerate that," Scholz emphasised.
Earlier this week, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban urged Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky to 'take a break' and consider a ceasefire - but admitted the response from Kiev had been 'frank'.
Previously, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow would be ready for peace talks following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Kherson and Zaporozhye - and if Kiev scrapped plans to join NATO. The areas joined Russia in 2022, following a number of referenda - which Kiev dismissed as 'annexation'.
On the French elections - which saw the anti-immigration National Rally lead in the first round and President Macron's group pushed into third before the leftist New Popular Front - Scholz said they were 'very serious times'.
"I am therefore very happy that the last European Council managed to make quick decisions regarding the European institutions, namely the President of the Commission, making a proposal there on the question of who will be the next Foreign Minister of the EU, the high representative, and as far as the Presidency is concerned," he added. "A clear sign of stability in such times is therefore very good."
EU leaders have been accused of 'excluding' Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's right-wing bloc from the discussions. Meloni's conservatives, now the third largest bloc in the parliament following the success of right-wing parties in the recent elections, condemned a 'backroom deal' by the three main centrists groups. Under their plans, Ursula von der Leyen will remain European Commission president, while they have also chosen the bloc's other main positions.
'We won’t tolerate that' - Scholz rejects any ceasefire involving 'Ukraine's surrender' after Orban calls on Zelensky to 'take a break'
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he opposed any ceasefire involving 'Ukraine's surrender', during a parliamentary session at the Bundestag in Berlin on Wednesday.
"In my view, a ceasefire that involves Ukraine's surrender is one that we should never support from Germany," Scholz said. He highlighted a recent proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, characterising it as 'cynical'
"This shows how cynical the thinking is and that the Russian president has no intention of ending his aggressive war but is just using words to continue the war. We won't tolerate that," Scholz emphasised.
Earlier this week, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban urged Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky to 'take a break' and consider a ceasefire - but admitted the response from Kiev had been 'frank'.
Previously, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow would be ready for peace talks following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Kherson and Zaporozhye - and if Kiev scrapped plans to join NATO. The areas joined Russia in 2022, following a number of referenda - which Kiev dismissed as 'annexation'.
On the French elections - which saw the anti-immigration National Rally lead in the first round and President Macron's group pushed into third before the leftist New Popular Front - Scholz said they were 'very serious times'.
"I am therefore very happy that the last European Council managed to make quick decisions regarding the European institutions, namely the President of the Commission, making a proposal there on the question of who will be the next Foreign Minister of the EU, the high representative, and as far as the Presidency is concerned," he added. "A clear sign of stability in such times is therefore very good."
EU leaders have been accused of 'excluding' Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's right-wing bloc from the discussions. Meloni's conservatives, now the third largest bloc in the parliament following the success of right-wing parties in the recent elections, condemned a 'backroom deal' by the three main centrists groups. Under their plans, Ursula von der Leyen will remain European Commission president, while they have also chosen the bloc's other main positions.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he opposed any ceasefire involving 'Ukraine's surrender', during a parliamentary session at the Bundestag in Berlin on Wednesday.
"In my view, a ceasefire that involves Ukraine's surrender is one that we should never support from Germany," Scholz said. He highlighted a recent proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, characterising it as 'cynical'
"This shows how cynical the thinking is and that the Russian president has no intention of ending his aggressive war but is just using words to continue the war. We won't tolerate that," Scholz emphasised.
Earlier this week, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban urged Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky to 'take a break' and consider a ceasefire - but admitted the response from Kiev had been 'frank'.
Previously, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow would be ready for peace talks following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Kherson and Zaporozhye - and if Kiev scrapped plans to join NATO. The areas joined Russia in 2022, following a number of referenda - which Kiev dismissed as 'annexation'.
On the French elections - which saw the anti-immigration National Rally lead in the first round and President Macron's group pushed into third before the leftist New Popular Front - Scholz said they were 'very serious times'.
"I am therefore very happy that the last European Council managed to make quick decisions regarding the European institutions, namely the President of the Commission, making a proposal there on the question of who will be the next Foreign Minister of the EU, the high representative, and as far as the Presidency is concerned," he added. "A clear sign of stability in such times is therefore very good."
EU leaders have been accused of 'excluding' Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's right-wing bloc from the discussions. Meloni's conservatives, now the third largest bloc in the parliament following the success of right-wing parties in the recent elections, condemned a 'backroom deal' by the three main centrists groups. Under their plans, Ursula von der Leyen will remain European Commission president, while they have also chosen the bloc's other main positions.