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Germany's Scholz Says Putin 'Completely Miscalculated' War against Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)
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Germany's Scholz Says Putin 'Completely Miscalculated' War against Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin has "completely miscalculated with his brutal war of aggression against Ukraine" because it has led NATO to strengthen its eastern flank, resulted in comprehensive sanctions against Russia, and prompted large-scale military support for the Ukrainian side.

Scholz added that Germany is currently considering supplying Ukraine with howitzers, in addition to Gepard anti-aircraft guns and other equipment the government has already agreed to send.

He spoke to reporters in Meseberg, near Berlin, alongside German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who announced plans to require that Russians who are subject to sanctions have to disclose their assets in Germany or risk fines.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the government is also planning to make it easier for Russians fleeing their home country to find work in Germany.

"We can really use them," he said, but added that there would be security checks to ensure that "we don’t bring a lot of spies over here."

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Russia Says US Using Taiwan to Stir Crisis in Asia

Participants wave Taiwanese flags during the Kuomintang (KMT) National Congress in Taoyuan on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Yu Chien Huang / AFP)
Participants wave Taiwanese flags during the Kuomintang (KMT) National Congress in Taoyuan on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Yu Chien Huang / AFP)
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Russia Says US Using Taiwan to Stir Crisis in Asia

Participants wave Taiwanese flags during the Kuomintang (KMT) National Congress in Taoyuan on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Yu Chien Huang / AFP)
Participants wave Taiwanese flags during the Kuomintang (KMT) National Congress in Taoyuan on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Yu Chien Huang / AFP)

The United States is using Taiwan to provoke a serious crisis in Asia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told TASS news agency in remarks published on Sunday, reiterating Moscow's backing of China's stance on Taiwan.
"We see that Washington, in violation of the 'one China' principle that it recognises, is strengthening military-political contacts with Taipei under the slogan of maintaining the 'status quo', and increasing arms supplies," Rudenko told the state news agency.
"The goal of such obvious US interference in the region's affairs is to provoke the PRC (People's Republic of China) and generate a crisis in Asia to suit its own selfish interests."
The report did not cite any specific contacts that Rudenko was referring to.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim that Taiwan's government rejects. The US is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic recognition.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Rudenko's remarks outside office hours.
In September, President Joe Biden approved $567 million in military support for Taiwan. Russia responded that it was standing alongside China on Asian issues, including criticism of the US drive to extend its influence and "deliberate attempts" to inflame the situation around Taiwan.
China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing shortly before launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two.
In May this year, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged a "new era" of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, which they cast as an aggressive Cold War hegemon sowing chaos across the world.