Michael Kretschmer demands that Germany press for a negotiated solution to the war in Ukraine and peace with Russia. He also wants gas supplies from Russia to resume after the war. “We will need pipeline gas,” said the Saxon Prime Minister.
Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) spoke out in favor of resuming Russian gas supplies after the war, cast doubt on the sanctions against Russia and called on the EU to push for a negotiated solution.
“We need long-term contracts for LNG supplies from the US, Qatar and other Arab countries. In addition, we must finally develop our own natural gas in the North Sea. And when the war is over, we should use gas from Russia again,” Kretschmer told the “Bild am Sonntag”. When asked whether he assumed that the damaged Nord Stream1 gas pipeline would then be repaired, Kretschmer replied: “We will need pipeline gas and that is only possible with functioning pipelines.”
To end the war, Germany should work with other countries to push for a negotiated solution. “It now takes a joint diplomatic effort from the EU, the US, China, India and Japan. This war must be stopped,” Kretschmer continued.
According to Kretschmer, these negotiations would not automatically result in Ukraine having to give up parts of its national territory. “There is not a single reason why Ukraine should give up even one square meter of its territory. War damage must be compensated by Russia, war criminals must be held accountable. You have to go into peace talks with this attitude,” says Kretschmer. “We must no longer resolve these issues on the battlefield. Europe needs to put more pressure on peace talks.”
Kretschmer reiterated his skepticism about EU sanctions against Russia. “Sanctions are always better than the use of weapons. But they must also have the necessary effect on the aggressor. It must be clear to us what effects the sanctions will have on the German economy. A tsunami is building right now.”
Kretschmer has been taking a stance in the Ukraine war for weeks that is hardly compatible with the official line of the CDU. The Prime Minister feels confirmed by the course of the crisis. “I have repeatedly reaffirmed my position since the spring and in many respects my assessments have been bitterly confirmed by the developments. The cost burden and the massive inflation were foreseeable,” says Kretschmer.
