German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's interview with right-wing U.S. talk show host Tucker Carlson.
During a visit to Washington on February 9, Scholz said the interview "only mocks what real actions have been done by Russia in Ukraine and tells a completely absurd story about the cause of this war."
The “very clear cause" of the war is the Kremlin leader's desire to annex part of Ukraine, Scholz said. "And all the stories that are told about it do not change the fact that that is exactly the purpose of his imperialist efforts."