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The world is at a turning point.

Russia's war against Ukraine ended an era.

New powers are emerging or resurgent, including the economically strong and politically aggressive China.

In this new multipolar world, different countries and governance models are competing for power and influence, writes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Olaf Scholz is a German politician from the Social Democratic Party (GSDP).

From December 2021 in an article in "Foreign Affairs" magazine.

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He notes that Germany is doing everything possible to protect and maintain an international order based on the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

According to him, the country is determined to be a guarantor of European security, a builder of bridges in the European Union and a defender of multilateral solutions to global problems, since, according to him, this is the only way it can "successfully navigate the geopolitical reefs of our time".

The epochal change does not only involve the war in Ukraine and European security, he notes, and points out that the central question is how Europeans and the EU remain independent players in an increasingly multipolar world.

In his view, Germany and Europe can help defend a rules-based international order without succumbing to the view that the world is doomed to once again split into rival blocs.

"The history of my country gives it a special responsibility to fight against the forces of fascism, authoritarianism and imperialism. At the same time, because of our experience, because we have been divided in two in times of ideological and geopolitical rivalry, we especially understand the risks of a new cold war," Scholz states in the article.

In 2014, Russia occupied and annexed Crimea and sent troops into parts of Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in direct violation of international law and Russian treaty commitments, he wrote.

In the eight years since the illegal annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Germany and its European and international G7 partners have focused their efforts on guaranteeing the sovereignty and political independence of Ukraine, preventing further escalation of the situation, restoration and preservation of peace in Europe.

Germany, together with France, is involved in the so-called

Normandy format that led to the Minsk Agreements and the Minsk Process, under which Russia and Ukraine were called upon to commit to a cease-fire and a number of other steps.

Despite the obstacles and lack of trust between Moscow and Kyiv,

Germany and France supported the process.

But because of Russia's revisionism, diplomacy failed, notes the chancellor.

"After Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine in February 2022, a completely new reality has emerged: imperialism has returned to Europe," Scholz wrote.

"But the impact of Russia's war extends beyond Ukraine. When Putin gave the order to attack, he destroyed the European and international peace architecture built over decades. Under Putin's leadership, Russia has ignored even the most basic principles of international law contained in The UN Charter: the rejection of the use of force as a tool in international politics and the promise to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries Acting as an imperial power, Russia is now trying to redraw borders by force and once again divide the world into blocs and spheres of influence," he points out.

In his words, the world must not allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to achieve his goal and "Russia's revanchist imperialism must be stopped."

"Germany's decisive role at this time is to emerge as one of the main security providers in Europe by investing in our military, strengthening the European defense industry, increasing our military presence on NATO's eastern flank, training and equipping the armed forces of Ukraine Scholz wrote.

According to him, Germany's new role will require a new strategic culture, and the national security strategy that his government will adopt in a few months will reflect this.

He notes that for the past three decades, decisions about Germany's security and the equipment of its military have been made in a climate of peace in Europe, and now the leading question will be which threats it and its allies can counter on the continent, as the most immediate of them comes from Russia.

Scholz called on Putin to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine

According to him, the transatlantic partnership is of key importance in dealing with these challenges.

"US President Joe Biden and his government deserve praise for building and investing in strong partnerships and alliances around the world. But a balanced and sustainable transatlantic partnership also requires Germany and Europe to play active roles," the chancellor said, pointing out that Germany will allocate two percent of its gross domestic product to defense.

According to him, NATO's actions should not lead to a direct confrontation with Russia, but it is necessary that the alliance does not allow further Russian aggression. 

"Our message to Moscow is very clear: we are determined to defend every inch of NATO territory from any possible aggression. We will honor NATO's solemn promise that an attack on one of the Allies will be seen as an attack on the entire alliance. We also we are clearly showing Russia that its recent rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons is reckless and irresponsible," Scholz said.

One of Putin's many miscalculations, he said, was the expectation that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would strain relations between his adversaries.

"In fact, the opposite has happened: the EU and the transatlantic alliance are stronger than ever. This is most evident in the unprecedented economic sanctions imposed on Russia. Putin must understand that no sanctions will be lifted, if Russia is trying to dictate the terms of a possible peace deal," he says.

The chancellor notes that the war has also served as a catalyst for changes in economic and energy policy that he believes will harm Russia in the long term and boost the clean energy transition that has already begun.

"Putin wanted to divide Europe into spheres of influence and divide the world into blocs between great powers and vassal states. Instead, his war only served to advance the EU," Scholz said, recalling that at the European Council in June, the EU gave to Ukraine and Moldova the status of "candidate countries" and has confirmed that Georgia's future is in Europe, and it was also agreed that the admission of the countries of the Western Balkans to the EU should become a reality, notes BTA.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Olaf Scholz

Germany