Prime Minister Olaf Scholz reaffirmed that Germany would not send fighter jets to Ukraine, as Kiev stepped up calls from the West to provide more advanced weapons.
“The question of fighter aircraft is completely out of the question,” the German chancellor said in an interview on January 29 daily mirror. “I can only advise that we should not engage in a constant race when it comes to weapons systems.”
His comments came after a top Ukrainian official said on January 28 that the country and its Western allies were entering “rapid” talks on the possibility of sending military aircraft as well as military aircraft. long-range missiles to help them confront Russia on the battlefield.
Prime Minister Olaf Scholz at a press conference in Berlin in March 2022. Photo: Reuters.
Scholz last week also ruled out supplying Ukraine with fighter jets, citing the need to prevent military escalation. “There will be no delivery of combat aircraft to Ukraine,” he said on January 25, shortly after Berlin and Washington agreed to supply battle tanks to Kiev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Germany and the United States for the decision, which was seen as a breakthrough in efforts to support Kiev. However, Zelensky immediately stressed that Ukraine needs more heavy weapons from its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deal with the Russian military, including fighter jets. and long-range missiles.
Prime Minister Scholz in the interview warned not to increase the “risk of escalation”, in the context of Moscow’s harsh condemnation of Western commitments to supply tanks to Ukraine.
“There is no conflict between NATO and Russia. We will not allow the situation to escalate in that way,” he said.
The German chancellor further noted that continuing dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin is “essential”. The most recent phone conversation between the two leaders took place in early December.
“I will talk to Putin again,” Scholz said. “But of course, it is clear that as long as Russia continues to raise tensions, the current situation cannot be changed.”
Vu Hoang (Theo AFP, Politician)