The statement comes after Western allies of Ukraine and members of the G7 offered a united force in support of Ukraine as nations adopted a stronger approach to the Kremlin. Following Russia’s missile attack on the Kremenchuk shopping center, allies denounced “Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Firefighters continue to search the rubble of the shopping center for survivors with authorities announcing 36 people are missing and at least 18 dead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike “one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in European history”.
Germany and its chancellor Olaf Scholz have previously been criticized for having a relatively weak stance on Russia over fears of energy and wanting a speedy end to the war.
However, the nation is now stepping up its approach and Mr Scholz said at the summit that Russian sanctions would be lifted once the Kremlin accepted that it had failed in its invasion.
Mr Scholz said: “All the sanctions we have imposed on Crimea are still there.
“All the sanctions we have imposed due to the Russian-fueled uprising in Donbas are still there.
“And the same will apply to the decisions that are being made now, which are much more serious.”
He added: “There is only one way out: for Putin to accept that his plans in Ukraine will not succeed.”
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Speaking at a press conference after the Bavarian summit, French President Macron said: “I really hope the end [of the conflict] can be achieved by the end of the year, with a certainty and a desire, which is that Russia cannot and must not win. “
He added: “Our support for Ukraine and our sanctions against Russia will continue in the coming days for as long as necessary and with the necessary intensity.”
His comments show a change of heart from his previous warnings to leaders not to “humiliate” Putin, which has raised fears that he would lead Ukraine to sign a bad peace agreement.
Former Foreign Minister William Hague has said that Ukraine’s Western allies have no choice but to continue to support Ukraine in its struggle with Russia.
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He wrote in The Times: “Realistically speaking, any peace agreement that rewards Putin with new territory for the invasion of a neighbor invites further aggression in the future.
“This is why a peace argument based on concessions by Ukraine is not desirable. But on these points alone, the ‘peace’ argument around Europe will continue to grow as inflation and recession take hold. “
He concluded: “Even if it were desirable, it is not available … When we face Putin, if we favor peace at the expense of justice, we will not have either. . “