Zelenskyy says Germany buying Russian oil an act of 'hypocrisy'; invites Scholz to Kyiv

Reacting strongly to the recent actions of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "You cannot use the right hand to sign sanctions and the left to sign contracts." Calling it hypocrisy, Zelenskyy invited Scholz to visit the war-torn country in order to give a strong message to Russia.

He was referring to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, in which it said Russia has exported €63 billion worth of fossil fuels after initiating a ravaging war on Ukraine. Among the EU, Germany remains the top buyer of Russian gas, as per the report.

Meanwhile, while addressing Chatham House on Friday, Zelenskyy said, "You cannot place sanctions on Russia with one hand, and sign Russian contracts with the other. This is hypocrisy."

"Russia makes $1bn a day from energy. If this doesn't stop, the next missiles will hit your countries," he stressed. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Scholz refuted speculations suggesting his likely visit to Ukraine. According to a report by CNN, Scholz confirmed he has no plans of visiting Kyiv as the earlier request of the German President Steinmeier was rejected by Ukraine. Scholz was referring to the recent incident when President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who had recently visited Poland. During his visit, he had requested to visit Ukraine along with other EU leaders. However, his request was reportedly denied with the response, "Kyiv would not welcome him right now."

Scholz says Germany providing all possible support to Ukraine

It is worth mentioning that Steinmeier, who served as foreign minister during the tenure of Angela Markel, has been facing backlash for his 'pro-Russia' policies. However, after the breakout of the invasion in Ukraine, his stance changed dramatically. He said Russia's invasion of Ukraine meant he and others had to reckon honestly with what they had got wrong. While speaking about the current stance of Germany, Scholz stated that Berlin has been providing financial and military assistance to Germany since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his "special military operation" on Ukraine.

"Germany has been providing all possible support to Ukraine in order to empower the Ukrainian army to fight against its opponent," he said. "We have been supplying dangerous weapons right from the start of the war and we will continue to support them," the German Chancellor added. Furthermore, he clarified that Germany and NATO will not indulge forces in confrontation with Russian troops. 

(Image: AP)