Scholz defends Ukraine as not to blame for war, underlines EU membership offer

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the importance of keeping the path open for Ukraine to join the European Union and rejected suggestions that the country was to blame for its invasion by Russia, in a radio interview aired on Thursday.

Asked if he shares U.S. President Donald Trump's view, in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Ukraine was to blame for the war, Scholz told the ARD public broadcaster: "It is not. We in Europe insist on this."

For this reason, he said, the EU was keeping the door open to Ukraine as a prospective member, adding, "Ukraine must not be hindered in its decision to be a democratic, sovereign nation on its way into Europe."

In the case of a future peace settlement, Scholz said Ukraine must have a strong army, "for which we in Europe and our international and transatlantic partners share responsibility".

Europe is scrambling to find a response to Trump's policy on the war, after high-level U.S.-Russian talks sidelined Ukraine and its European backers, raising fears that the U.S. leader could make concessions to Moscow to end the war.