Expand area

Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor: “Ladies and gentlemen, before I report on our conversation and the cooperation between Germany and Ukraine, let me address a message that has now reached all of us. It has not yet been finally confirmed. But we have to assume with high probability that it is true that Mr. Navalny died in a Russian prison. And that is something that is very depressing. I met Navalny here in Berlin when he was trying to recover from the poisoning attack in Germany. And also talked to him about the great courage it takes to go back to the country. And he has probably now paid for this courage with his life. But we now know exactly what kind of regime this is. Anyone who expresses criticism or advocates for democracy must fear for their safety and life. And that's why we're all very depressed. We are with the family, the wife and child and all the relatives and friends. And that is something completely terrible, also as a sign of how Russia has changed. After the hopefully long-ago developments in the direction of democracy, this is no longer a democracy.