Russia must lose this war
To ask the Ukrainians to stop fighting and negotiate is to invite a reinvasion as soon as Putin has rebuilt…
ByOlaf Scholz
Olaf Scholz has been the chancellor of Germany since December 2021. Born in 1958, he studied law at the University of Hamburg, was Mayor of Hamburg from 2011 to 2018, and since 2018 had been vice-chancellor and finance minister in Angela Merkel’s coalition government. His Social Democratic Party won the most seats in the September 2021 federal election and governs in coalition with the Greens and the Free Democratic Party. Find all our latest news, comment and opinion on the German chancellor here.
EU membership for Ukraine will take years – but Kyiv needs weapons now
Promises of eventual membership provide some of the political disadvantages associated with joining but none of the advantages.
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The war in Ukraine should have strengthened Europe’s common voice. Why hasn’t it?
"European sovereignty" has to bind in central and eastern states if it is to succeed
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“Merkel’s policy of not arming Ukraine failed”: top CDU official on Germany and Russia
Jürgen Hardt, the foreign affairs spokesperson for Germany’s main opposition party, also blames Olaf Scholz for not being hard enough.
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Shadows of the First World War loom over Germany’s ambiguous response to Russia
Olaf Scholz’s unwillingness to say “Ukraine must win” in public shows his fear of stumbling inadvertently into a conflict.
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After the Zeitenwende: Jürgen Habermas and Germany’s new identity crisis
The 92-year-old philosopher has warned Germans not to allow anger at Russia and admiration for Ukraine to displace their country's…
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The Berlin elite’s Ukraine dilemma
After promising a sea-change in German foreign policy — a Zeitenwende — Olaf Scholz is reverting to type.
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Scholz, in London, defends Germany’s funding of Russia’s war
The German chancellor insisted that it was currently impossible for his country to end its dependence on Russian gas.
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The UK needs to support Germany’s historic shift on Ukraine
Britain can no longer afford to turn away from Europe in these difficult times.
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Security politics is energy politics, as Germany’s Greens understand
Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, is the most visible face of a clear stance against Russia’s aggression and in favour…
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The Ukraine crisis is about more than just Nato membership
Russia's security demands betray a deep-seated view of its neighbour as a satellite state, rather than fully separate.
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Olaf Scholz is getting tougher on Russia, if only his allies would notice
Berlin is signalling that it will cancel the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine.
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The US warns that Europe is on the brink of war
Several Western countries have urged their citizens to immediately leave Ukraine amid warnings of an imminent Russian attack.
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Why Germany finds it difficult to act as Russian tensions build
Germany’s new government is more critical of Russia than previous administrations, but history and trade weigh heavily in the balance.
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Angela Merkel’s most important legacy: her civility
When politics becomes war, democracies stop working.
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Germany’s new government could help bring an end to coal in the EU
The country’s target of phasing out the fossil fuel completely means electricity generation from coal in the EU is projected…
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Merkel bows out but don’t expect drastic change in Germany
The incoming chancellor Olaf Scholz is likely to maintain Angela Merkel’s pragmatic style of governing.
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A progressive new government takes shape in Germany
Olaf Scholz’s three-party talks conclude with a promising coalition deal.
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Dispatch: As Covid-19 cases surge, is Germany heading for another lockdown?
Another lockdown, whether for the unvaccinated or for the country as a whole, would be immensely unpopular.
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The crisis of German conservatism
The crushing defeat of Angela Merkel's party in last month's election made it clear that the centre-right is facing an…
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