BERLIN (AA) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday Russia will suffer a defeat in Ukraine due to the “heroic resistance” of Ukrainian people and strong solidarity from the Western countries.

Delivering a keynote speech at an international media forum in Potsdam, Scholz said Russian President Vladimir Putin has made serious miscalculations in Ukraine.

“He thought that the whole Ukraine will be conquered within two to three weeks. When he couldn’t achieve this, he moved to the east, thought that he could conquer these areas. But both of his plans have failed,” he said.

Scholz reiterated that Germany will continue to provide political, economic and military support to Ukraine.

“We stand firmly with the Ukrainian people. I’m confident that Putin will not win this war,” he said.

“Ukraine will survive. Because the Ukrainian people are heroically defending their country. They have friends and partners around the world,” he added.

Along with other EU countries, Germany has imposed sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow's war in Ukraine, now in its seventh month.

AA