German chancellor: reason for war in Ukraine are Putin’s beliefs that Belarus, Ukraine should belong to Russia

August 24, BPN. There was no real reason for the war started by Russia in Ukraine other than Vladimir Putin’s conviction that Belarus and Ukraine should belong to Russia instead of being separate states, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the Open House Day in the German federal government.

Scholz noted Putin’s “completely absurd” historical theories going back to the medieval Kievan Rus.

“If people start flipping through history books to see where they had territory in the past and start a war because they found something from 1520, 1630 or 1710, then we will not get out of war for 200 years,” German chancellor said.

According to Scholz, he too likes to read history books, but not to draw such conclusions. He added that Germany had learned lessons from the two world wars and Nazi crimes.

“Our borders are what we have now. For example, our border with Poland holds and will hold forever. This is what you have to expect from every civilized state in Europe,” Scholz stressed.

Christian Lichtwardt, head of the German government’s press office, told BPN that chancellor’s statements reflect the views of the entire cabinet.