Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess has called for a diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis, the lifting of sanctions against Russia, and the protection of Germany and Europe as a whole from the upcoming economic crisis.
“The negotiations will help lift sanctions and avoid harming the German economy,” he said.
He expressed his confidence that “Brussels must push for peace, restore free trade more and protect the commercial interests of the European Union.”
“In my opinion, we should not abandon open markets and free trade, as well as negotiations and attempts at compromise,” he added.
He warned that “if global trade continues to suffer, Europe and Germany will suffer the most.”
For his part, the head of the German “BASF” company, Martin Brudermüller, indicated earlier that “the possible rejection of Russian gas would stop the wheel of the chemical industry.”
He expressed his astonishment at the “naive moralists” in high positions, who “do not realize the real consequences of such a decision, which would destroy the German economy.”