German authorities cannot support a ceasefire in Ukraine if it means Kyiv's surrender, says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
During a government hearing in the Bundestag, Scholz was asked whether he gave a guarantee that Germany would not become a party to the war in Ukraine.
"Yes, I give this guarantee. I stand for this as Chancellor," the head of the German government replied.
He was also asked when a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia could be achieved.
"In my opinion, a ceasefire that aims for Ukraine's capitulation is one that we cannot support from Germany," Scholz said.
He reminded of Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent "peculiar peace offering" if Ukraine withdraws its military from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions.
According to Scholz, this shows "how cynically they think and that the Russian president does not at all intend to end his aggressive war."
"We will not tolerate that," he added.
Background
Yesterday, on July 2, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war. After his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said that he had suggested Zelenskyy consider a ceasefire to start negotiations.
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva responded to his statement. He reminded that Kyiv has a peace plan and the first Peace Summit was held within its framework.
