Berlin – Germany is at the head of the countries that help Ukraine. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated this in today's interview with the German public broadcaster ZDF, who also said that all support for Kyiv is subject to ensuring that the conflict in Ukraine does not turn into a war between Russia and NATO. He also said that the debate about Western fighter jets, which Ukraine is asking for, does not make sense, because the Ukrainian army now needs completely different weapons.
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“We as Germans are very much at the forefront with aid,” said Scholz. “We broke a number of taboos,” he noted. Shortly before the Russian invasion, Germany refused to provide weapons to Ukraine, but gradually changed its mind and in January of this year promised Ukrainian forces 14 modern Leopard 2A6 tanks. The chancellor also pointed out that Ukraine received, for example, modern air defense systems IRIS-T SLM, which even the German army does not have in its arsenal.
In the interview, Scholz denied that Berlin was too slow in making aid decisions. According to the chancellor, it is essential that there is complete agreement between the allies and especially with the United States. He said delays in tank deliveries, which some states had previously promised but are now hesitating, only show how necessary coordination is. He mentioned that he would do everything to prevent the conflict from turning into a clash between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance.
In addition to tanks, Ukraine is also asking for Western aircraft. “He does not consider such a debate to be meaningful,” the chancellor said of the discussion about fighter jets. “Now we have to ensure that Ukraine is able to defend itself in the east. And for that, it needs weapons, which we supply precisely,” he said. close relationships. According to the chancellor, it is clear that one cannot have exaggerated illusions about China's position, yet together with Western representatives, he urges Beijing not to provide weapons to Russia. “I told Chinese officials that supplying arms to Russia would be unacceptable,” he said.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for a year. Scholz said that he was very worried that the war would not turn into a long-term conflict. At the same time, he stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin must understand that he will not achieve his war goals.
Scholz repeated in ZDF that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a turning point in history. The chancellor repeatedly uses this term because, according to him, the invasion completely changed the security system in Europe and also the principle that borders in Europe cannot be changed by force. “In addition, Russia is a nuclear power,” he said.
