(repeat from last night)
Berlin (Reuters) – Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees no chance of peace in Ukraine in the foreseeable future.
It is one of his greatest concerns that the war will drag on for a long time with high losses, Scholz said on Thursday evening on the ZDF program “Maybrit Illner”. You shouldn’t stop trying to make things different. The Chancellor made it clear that Ukraine must continue to be supported with weapons, emphasizing: “The moment that opens up the prospect of peace must first come about.”
Scholz again rejected the delivery of Western fighter jets to Ukraine. “The debate makes no sense,” said the Chancellor. The weapons that the Ukrainian armed forces now need would be made available to them, such as Western-style battle tanks and armored personnel carriers. Scholz firmly rejected criticism that he was too hesitant to support Ukraine. “Germany does not have to listen to anyone’s accusations at this point,” the Chancellor said specifically to Poland. He pointed out that among European countries, Germany provides Ukraine with the most aid.
The Chancellor warned China not to supply Russia with weapons. In his last talks with government officials in Beijing, he “clearly said that this cannot be accepted.” China has said publicly that it will not deliver any weapons, but it is now “necessary for us to take a close look”.
According to the preliminary report, Scholz told “Bild” that he could not say whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the actual situation in Ukraine. “In our phone calls, I tell him how much Ukraine is holding together and that he doesn’t want to conquer it. I tell him about the destruction in Ukraine and the losses that the war is also causing on the Russian side.” Whether Putin wants to hear that is another matter.
When asked whether Putin should be brought before an international tribunal, Scholz said to “Bild”: “There is the International Criminal Court in The Hague.” This war is “a crime and that’s why it’s good that the international institutions, Ukraine and we too are documenting the war crimes so that those responsible can be brought to justice.”
(Report by Alexander Ratz, Ralf Bode; Edited by Elke Ahlswede; If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at [email protected])