Russian President Vladimir Putin fears the “spark of democracy” spreading to his country, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, adding that he was trying to divide Europe and return to a world dominated by spheres of influence.

Scholz was responding to a question in an interview with the Muenchner Merkur newspaper, published on the government website on Monday, on whether Putin would accept Ukraine moving closer to the European Union.

The European Commission last week recommended that Ukraine, which has been battling a Russian invasion since February, be given the status of candidate to join the European Union, a move Scholz said he also backed.

Scholz warned that soaring energy prices would likely be around for a long time, and rejected Russia’s assertion that it had cut gas flows because necessary spare parts were missing due to sanctions.