Scholz believes Putin can keep the war going for “a long time”

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WASHINGTON, July 3. (DPA/EP) –

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned this Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made the decision to invade Ukraine a long time ago and may maintain his offensive for a long period.

“I think the decision to go to this war was made a year before it started, possibly even earlier, because he prepared for it,” Scholz said in an interview with German network CBS published on Sunday. “And that’s why I also think he’s going to be able to continue the war for a long, long time,” he added.

The German leader has pointed out that it was a mistake for Europe to rely so heavily on Russian energy. “We should have invested in infrastructure that would allow us to change the supply from one day to the next. This is the lesson that Europe and many other places have learned. We must be prepared for a situation like this,” he argued.

As for Germany’s specific dependence on Russian gas imports, Scholz stressed that the amount of imported gas is already being reduced.