The chancellor’s feedback observe repeated requests by Ukrainian politicians for fighter jets after battle tanks had been pledged for the struggle towards Russia.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz as soon as once more dismissed calls for in Germany and Ukrainian officers for fighter jets to repel the Russian invasion, urging Western international locations to not be a part of the “bidding struggle” for superior weapons.
Final week, Germany introduced that it will ship its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine after weeks of stress from NATO and European Union allies.
“The truth that we simply decided [on sending tanks] And already the subsequent dialogue [fighter jets] It flares up in Germany – it simply appears trivial and undermines individuals’s confidence within the authorities’s selections, “mentioned Schultz V Interview With the German newspaper Tagesspiegel on Sunday.
“I can solely advise towards getting right into a bidding struggle for weapons methods.”
Ukrainian Deputy International Minister Andriy Melnik pressured Germany to acquire dozens of its Twister fight plane, urging the worldwide neighborhood to affix his nation’s “fighter plane alliance”.
I’ve a artistic proposal for our German associates. The Bundeswehr has 93 Twister multirole fight plane that may quickly be retired and changed by the F-35.
Though she is an outdated fighter, she continues to be very sturdy. Why is that this Twister not delivered to Ukraine @worker? pic.twitter.com/KxTZdUQLAS– Andrej Melnyk (@MelnykAndrij) January 15, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soon as once more requested Western international locations to provide his nation with extra superior weapon methods in his day by day deal with on Saturday. Zelensky particularly talked about the Military’s Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
“There may be no arms embargo to guard towards Russian terrorism,” mentioned the Ukrainian president.
Russia final week condemned the supply of NATO battle tanks to Ukraine, calling it “direct and rising” proof of US and European involvement within the struggle.
“Maintain speaking” to Putin
The German chief additionally mentioned he would proceed contacting Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing the significance of sustaining an open channel of communication with the intention to discover an finish to Russia’s struggle on Ukraine.
The tone of the conversations, Scholz mentioned, was “not rude, however in fact our views are very totally different.”
“And I’ll maintain calling Putin – as a result of we’ve to maintain speaking to one another,” he mentioned.
The final telephone name to Putin was in early December. The Russian chief mentioned on the time that the German and Western line on Ukraine was “damaging” and referred to as on Berlin to rethink its strategy.
Scholz mentioned the talks had been largely about “concrete points” corresponding to prisoner exchanges, Ukraine’s grain exports, and the destiny of the Zaporizhia nuclear energy plant.
“For me, it will be significant that the talks proceed to return to the principle level: How does the world get out of this horrible state of affairs? The situation is obvious: the withdrawal of Russian forces,” Schultz mentioned within the interview.
No escalation
Schultz additionally warned that NATO shouldn’t be drawn right into a struggle with Moscow.
He pressured that “the significantly sworn German chancellor should do every little thing potential to make sure that Russia’s struggle towards Ukraine doesn’t flip right into a struggle between Russia and NATO,” including that he wouldn’t “permit such an escalation.”
The Leopard 2 announcement, adopted shortly thereafter by an American pledge of M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv, angered the Kremlin.
For the time being, there are not any agreed talks [with Scholz] within the desk. RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Putin was and stays open to contacts.
Germany is the second largest donor of navy gear to Ukraine after the USA, in keeping with the Kiel Institute for the World Economic system, forward of different European powers corresponding to France and Britain.