President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of assassinations, lies and treacherous distortion of history.
It is reported by Deutsche Welle with reference to Steinmeier's speech at the opening of the Congress of the Association of German Trade Unions, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
"When he (Putin) talks about fascism, about "denazification," he lies. This is a treacherous and cynical distortion of history," the publication said, citing the words of the President of Germany.
According to him, Putin, having attacked Ukraine, "finally destroys the basis of the European world order."
Steinmeier also believes that the attack on Ukraine is "an attack on the idea of liberal democracy and on the values on which it is based: freedom, equality, respect for human rights and human dignity."
According to him, Putin's equation of the fight against National Socialism "with its cruel, illegal, aggressive war against Ukraine is also a treacherous and cynical abuse of history."
"Under the pretext of" denazification," the Russian President "kills even those people who went through hell, including Holocaust survivors," the German leader stressed.
Steinmeier noted that this war forces Germany and Europe to draw painful conclusions.
"We were too sure that peace, freedom and prosperity were things for granted," he said.
The President of Germany admitted that he was personally also mistaken and did not believe in the likelihood that Putin "in his imperial madness" was ready to lead his own country to political, economic and moral ruin.
Steinmeier once again expressed support for Ukraine and said Germany was doing so "with complete conviction and with all its heart," as were its European neighbors.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Steinmeier to Kyiv after the scandal with his failed visit to Ukraine.
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