BERLIN, Feb. 2 always weigh steps so as not to go too far, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Chancellor recalled Germany's decisions related to arms supplies to Ukraine.
“We carefully weighed all our steps … we thought about how to prevent an escalation … to prevent the war from turning into a war between Russia and NATO. Otherwise, it would be terrible. And therefore we do everything and are responsible for what so that such an escalation does not happen,» Scholz said during a conversation with his fellow citizens in the German city of Marburg in the federal state of Hesse, answering the question whether it is possible to believe that the German authorities will indeed not send fighter jets and their soldiers to Ukraine, contributing to the escalation of the conflict if earlier such promises were violated. The conversation was broadcast live by the portal of the German government.
According to Scholz, Germany is acting jointly in the issue of supporting Ukraine with weapons, especially together with its American allies. «And all the most important steps in which we supply effective weapons, artillery, infantry fighting vehicles, air defense systems, IRIS-T systems, Patriot, tanks, and now battle tanks — I always made these decisions together. We did not take these steps alone. And I clearly say that this will remain so,» the Chancellor explained.
«At the same time, I believe that one should always think about not going too far. And, for example, when at the very beginning (of the conflict) everyone said that a no-fly zone should be established (over Ukraine), I stated no, that this will lead to an immediate escalation of the war, in which NATO aircraft would be in combat with Russian aircraft, we will not agree to this. And the American president said the same thing,» the chancellor specified.
The German Chancellor plans to visit all 16 federal states of Germany during a series of dialogues with fellow citizens. The first of these meetings have already taken place in the summer of 2022 in Lübeck (Schleswig-Holstein), then in Magdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt). In September, Scholz's dialogue with fellow citizens took place in Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia), in November — in Gifhorn (Lower Saxony). The February meeting in Marburg was the fifth in a row. Dialogues between the chancellor and fellow citizens usually take place in the format of a city meeting.
According to him, the same applies to the current discussion around fighter jets for Ukraine. «We will remain true to this course, and you can trust us in this. Actions will remain balanced, we will coordinate them with others (allies — ed.) and we will avoid any escalation that could lead to a war between Russia and NATO,» — added Scholz, causing applause in the hall. eca025eb91e35cbb4cfedeca94c8b910.jpg» />Infographic