“Do not allow escalation”
Scholz fears “outbidding competition” for weapon systems
1/29/2023 3:16 am
In addition to main battle tanks, Ukraine may also need support for its air force in the fight against Russia. For the Chancellor, this is not at all an issue. It is important to prevent the war from spreading to NATO, emphasizes Scholz.
After the decision to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for prudence in the debate on further arms deliveries. He warns against “entering into a constant outbidding competition when it comes to weapon systems,” the SPD politician told the “Tagesspiegel” with a view to demands that Ukraine now also be supplied with fighter jets. The question of combat aircraft does not even arise. “When the next debate begins in Germany as soon as a decision has been made, it doesn’t look very serious and shakes the confidence of the citizens in state decisions.”
Following the commitment by Germany and other Western countries to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested combat aircraft on Wednesday, among other things. The federal government rejects this.
As Chancellor, he must “do everything to ensure that Russia’s war against Ukraine does not turn into a war between Russia and NATO,” Scholz told the Tagesspiegel. There is no such thing, and he will not “allow such an escalation. We in the Federal Government are completely in agreement on this, and the Foreign Minister also sees it that way”.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on Tuesday in the Council of Europe for the cohesion of the western allies in view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. She said in English: “We are waging a war against Russia and not against each other.” The Foreign Office later qualified Baerbock’s statement to the “Bild” newspaper and made it clear that supporting Ukraine in exercising its right to self-defense does not make Germany “a party to the conflict”.
At a press conference in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, Scholz continued to try to calm things down: “This is a war between Russia and Ukraine,” said Scholz in the evening. “That doesn’t change if we provide Ukraine with financial, humanitarian aid or deliver weapons.” Germany will do everything to prevent an escalation between Russia and NATO. “That’s out of the question for us. We’ll do everything to ensure that it doesn’t happen.”
Further talks with Putin planned
Scholz announced in the “Tagesspiegel” interview that he would continue to try to influence Russian President Vladimir Putin in direct talks. “I will also be on the phone with Putin again – because it is necessary to talk to each other,” he said. “It’s up to Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine and end this terrible, senseless war that has already claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands.”
In the phone calls, Putin repeatedly made it clear that he wanted to “take parts of his neighboring country by force,” which Scholz said was “unacceptable.” “Sometimes there were also specific questions about the exchange of prisoners, grain exports from Ukraine and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.” But the crucial question is: “How will the world get out of this terrible situation?” The prerequisite for this is “the withdrawal of Russian troops” from Ukraine.