Scholz tried to explain why he didn’t want to be pushed into making quick decisions on the weapon question. “If, as soon as a decision has been made, the next debate begins in Germany, it doesn’t seem serious and shakes the confidence of the citizens in government decisions,” he said.
In a video speech published on Saturday, Scholz made a promise to the citizens. Many people in Germany wished for “peace in Europe” and they also wished “that the government and the chancellor keep their nerves,” said Scholz. He added, “That’s exactly my promise to you.”
When it comes to the issue of arms deliveries to Ukraine, he is “always concerned with coordination, consideration and coordination,” said Scholz. “I promise you, we always have Germany’s security in mind,” he said. “For me, that is responsible politics in times when such a terrible war is taking place near us.”
During a visit to the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, Scholz said on Saturday that he would do everything “that the war does not escalate, leading to a war between Russia and, for example, NATO countries: that is out of the question for us. “
There is no war between Russia and NATO, he said in the “Tagesspiegel” – and he would “not allow such an escalation,” he added. “We in the federal government are completely in agreement on that, and the Foreign Minister also sees it that way.”
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) 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”.
Scholz announced in the “Tagesspiegel” interview that he would continue to try to influence Russian President 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.”
Following the commitment by Germany and other Western countries to supply battle tanks to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested combat aircraft on Wednesday, among other things. The federal government rejects this.
The Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk came forward with a new demand on Sunday: he asked the German armed forces to hand over the recently decommissioned frigate Lübeck to the Ukrainian armed forces. Although the frigate is 32 years old, it could still help Ukraine fight Russian submarines and warships in the Black Sea, Melnyk wrote on Twitter.
