Ukraine: Germany blocks sending fighter jets and ground forces

There is no question of delivering fighter jets or sending ground forces to Ukraine, the chancellor emphasizes Olaf Solz and warns of the risk of “sustained bidding” for weapons systems. He reiterates that a condition for the normalization of the situation in Ukraine is the withdrawal of Russian forces and that the goal remains to prevent a confrontation between NATO and Russia.

“I will talk to (Vladimir) Putin again, because it is necessary to talk to each other. It is up to him to withdraw the troops from the Ukraine and to end this terrible and senseless war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. As long as Russia continues the war with unabated aggression, the current situation will not change,” states Mr. Solz in an interview with Tagesspiegel. He clarifies that his talks with the Russian president so far “have not been conducted in a rude tone”, but Mr Putin has repeatedly made it clear that he intends to “integrate parts of his neighboring country by force”. This is unacceptable, says the chancellor.

Responding to a question about the possibility of Western allies sending fighter jets or ground forces to Ukraine, Olaf Solz talks about “the risk of sustained bidding on weapons systems” and makes it clear that Berlin will continue to make decisions in coordination with its international partners, but the issue of aircraft or troops is not even raised.

“When a decision has not been made and the next debate begins in Germany, this is not a sign of seriousness and shakes the citizens’ trust in government decisions. Such discussions should not be held for the sake of boosting the domestic political profile,” he points out with an eye on the recent decision to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

“I will not allow such an escalation”

“A German Chancellor who takes his oath seriously must do everything to ensure that her war of Russia against Ukraine will not turn into a war between Russia and NATO”, underlines Mr. Soltz and adds that at the moment such a war is not being waged and he himself “will not allow this kind of escalation”. That goal is shared by everyone in the government, he clarifies, in an indirect reference to Foreign Minister Analena Burbok, who last week caused a backlash with her statement that “we are not fighting among ourselves, but against Russia.”

The chancellor also refers to Germany’s “dynamic” response to the energy crisis, with the development of alternative imgs, the supply of natural gas from Norway and other countries and measures to contain prices. “Thanks to all these initiatives, the “shameful attempts” of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Left to exploit the citizens’ fears to their advantage, failed. “We didn’t have a ‘Winter of Rage.’ At this point, the strength of our democracy, our economy and our social state was shown”, says Olaf Solz.