German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine was made “one year before it started or possibly earlier,” adding that he believes Moscow will be “able to continue with the war for a really long time.”

During an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Scholz also defended Berlin’s delays in delivering weapons to Ukraine.

He said the wait was due to the need to train Ukrainian soldiers in Germany.

“We will always see that Germany is one of the countries that is doing the most, because what we are sending now is the most sophisticated technology you can use,” Scholz said.

He also admitted that it had been a mistake by European countries to become so dependent on Russian energy.

“We should have invested all over Europe in infrastructure that gives us the ability to change the supply, from one day to the other,” he said. “This is the lesson that has been learned… be prepared for a situation like this.”
For it part, the UK will host a conference next year focused on helping Ukraine recover from the damage caused by the Russian invasion, the Foreign Office said.

This year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference is taking place in Switzerland from Monday.

The meeting brings together representatives from Ukraine and other nations as well as international organizations and civil society groups.

“We have led on support for Ukraine during the war and will continue to lead in supporting the Ukrainian Government’s Reconstruction and Development Plan,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.

The Foreign Office said Britain had been asked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to champion the recovery of Kyiv and the surrounding region.