Steinmeier asks for forgiveness for Nazi crimes, blasts Russia for war on Ukraine

This was reported by DW.

"I stand before you today and ask for forgiveness for the crimes that Germans committed here," Steinmeier said at a commemorative event in Warsaw on April 19 joined by Polish and Israeli Presidents Andrzej Duda and Isaac Herzog.

He assured that the Germans are aware of their responsibility to those who survived and died.

"Germans persecuted, enslaved and murdered Europe’s Jews, and the Jews of Warsaw, with a barbarity and inhumanity that render us speechless. For us Germans, responsibility for our history has no end point. It will remain a reminder and our mission in the present and in the future," Steinmeier said.

He also blasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for violating international law and waging war against Ukraine.

"With his illegal attack on a peaceful, democratic neighbouring country... the Russian president has broken international law... This war brings immeasurable suffering, violence, destruction and death to the people of Ukraine. You in Poland, you in Israel, you know from your history that freedom and independence must be fought for and defended. You know how important it is for a democracy to defend itself," Steinmeier said.

The German President emphasised that after the tragic events of World War II, Europe should never have seen a war like the Russian invasion of Ukraine again.

"Never again!" – this is the most important lesson of German history, and it means that a war like the Russian invasion of Ukraine should never have started in Europe again. Never again: that means that we stand firmly by the side of Ukraine – together with Poland and our other allies. We are providing Ukraine with humanitarian, political and military support – together with Poland and our other allies," Steinmeier concluded.