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Dear Chancellor Scholz,

You don't know me, so let me introduce myself so that there is more context to my letter. My name is Nikolay, I'm originally from Russia, and I don't support this senseless, brutal, and meaningless war in Ukraine at all. It's a shame. I have lived in Germany since 2015 and am a college student here. I met many German friends who showed me how a modern, democratic and free society works. My father was the only MP to vote against the annexation of Crimea in 2014, making him a personal enemy of Putin - but personally, that was the proudest moment for me. My mother was also an activist in Russia, also demonstrated against the war in Georgia, and took part in later protests, some of which I also went to. None of my family has stayed in Russia: my grandparents all moved away, my mother to Bulgaria, my father to Ukraine, where he is now working against the war.

I am writing to you about the current situation in Ukraine, about the war. I sincerely ask you to do everything possible so that Ukraine wins. I am sure you are doing everything you can to protect peace and our lives. In my opinion, the quickest and most direct solution would be for Ukraine to win, and for that they need heavy weapons. It is no longer possible to negotiate with Putin. He is incapable of it - he cannot be taken seriously when he says he is the tsar taking back "his land". Ukraine is not his land. The Russian parliament has announced that they no longer want to recognize the sovereignty of Lithuania. Lithuania is not his land either. The mood among those who support Putin is “after Ukraine, let's take Poland”, but Poland is not his land either. For Putin there is no agreement that he will not break. Is this really a person worth negotiating with?

Putin and his war is an existential threat to our European values, for which Europe paid the big price during World War II: democracy, freedom, peace, and tolerance, but it's also an existential threat to people all around the world. Putin's fascist regime and his army are blocking the export of food from Ukraine, which will lead to worldwide hunger - also in Germany. In this extremely difficult time, Germany must lead and do everything possible to ensure that Ukraine wins, so that Putin knows that his aggression is not working, because the whole world unites to push back against such behavior. This also would mean that China will see this and not wage a war of aggression in the future. Germany is the heart of Europe and should behave as such.

In conclusion, I would like to say that all the current connections, agreements and acquaintances that one might have in Russia will become irrelevant soon. New people will come to power in the near future, but right now is an opportunity to create a positive image for yourself in Ukraine. Ukraine will now get as much money to rebuild as Germany or Japan did after WWII. As a result, just like Germany and Japan, it will become an economic miracle. It is reasonable to think that by becoming a part of it, anyone who supports and promotes this miracle benefits enormously, and gains friend status for themselves and their country, but also money through business and economic development. I want this beautiful Germany, where I can feel so welcome, to be seen not as a friend to the irredeemable fascist regime, but to the young, European society, full of potential.