Erfurt (dpa/th) - Hundreds of people in Erfurt commemorated the victims of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine with a minute's silence. At the rally, Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) criticized the people in Germany, who relativized Russia's guilt for this war. "Sometimes I wonder about my compatriots," said Ramelow on Friday on Cathedral Square, where mostly women and children from Ukraine and German supporters of the country were gathered. He couldn't understand how some people in Germany could ask Ukraine to surrender to Russia. The attacked must be given all the support they need to be able to repel the attack. "We have to stop the attacker," said Ramelow.
Apparently, however, many Germans had problems correctly identifying who was the aggressor and who was the attacked in the Ukraine war, said Ramelow. He is similarly ashamed of how many Germans do not realize that a dictatorship is developing in Russia. "What Vladimir Putin is doing is imperialism." When the slogan "Lay down your arms" is shouted in Germany, it should correctly be "Lay down your Russian arms first," stressed Ramelow.
The rally was organized by the "Ukrainian Compatriots in Thuringia" association. In recent months, Ramelow has repeatedly spoken out in favor of strong German support for Ukraine - including with weapons. He had repeatedly been sharply criticized for this, not least from within his own party.
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Thousands of soldiers from both sides have been killed in the war so far and, according to the UN, more than 8,000 civilians. Many people fled Ukraine - especially women, children and the elderly.
