Moscow’s “scorched earth” attacks against Ukraine are only strengthening the Western alliance against Russia, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Scholz told members of the German Parliament that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using energy and hunger as weapons, adding that “such scorched earth tactics will not help Russia win the war.”
”They only bolster the resolve and perseverance of Ukraine and its allies,” he said in a key policy speech ahead of a European Council summit in Brussels.
“In the end, Russia’s bomb and missile terror is an act of desperation—just like the mobilization of Russian men for the war.
The German chancellor spoke in reference to Moscow’s recent barrage of strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The attacks on power facilities have caused rolling blackouts across the country and prompted authorities to introduce curbs on electricity usage, starting Thursday.
Scholz said that Germany had ”freed itself from dependence” on Russian gas but was working to bring energy prices down, including by securing new gas delivery contracts from other countries.
He addressed the lower house of parliament in Berlin ahead of a meeting with the 27 European Union member countries on Thursday, which are set to meet for the second time in a fortnight in an effort to bring down energy prices across Europe.
( curtesy CNN)