German Chancellor defends Ukraine's aid to disruptors during speech

Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired back at protesters who criticized his government’s arms deliveries to Ukraine during a speech at a rally of his party in Falkensee, near Berlin.

A group of disruptors shouted phrases such as “warmongers”, “Make peace without weapons”, “Disappear!” and “We are the people” on Friday at the European festival of social democrats.

“Dear howlers,” Scholz shouted outside the Falkensee town hall in Brandenburg, eastern Germany, on Friday. Putin was the real “warmonger,” he said, “that he would be yelled at by you, if you had any sanity in your brain.”

The German leader made it clear that he sees no alternative to supporting Ukraine, not only in principle but also with arms, given Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

“Yes, this is necessary, if a country is attacked, then it must defend itself, then it can defend itself, what else?” shouted Scholz.

“Putin wants to destroy Ukraine,” Scholz added.

He killed many citizens, including children and the elderly, he said, accusing the Russian leader of murder.

He underlined: “Peace and freedom are threatened by this war of aggression.”

In his speech, Scholz reaffirmed the need for aid to Ukraine. “It is and remains right to support Ukraine,” he said. He said Germany was second only to the United States in providing aid to Ukraine, referring to financial, humanitarian and military support.

“We will all do it together as long as necessary,” said the chancellor.