03:09Germany: If tanks conquer country ‘I say stop diplomacy’ - Scholz answers questions at ‘Chancellor talk’ in Marburg
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during ‘Chancellor talk’ meeting in Marburg on Thursday claimed diplomatic means to be ’not responsible’ in the situation when Ukrainian ’people are being directly attacked’.
“Calling for diplomacy, the right one, is not a substitute for leaving the people who are now being directly attacked alone, that would not be responsible. If the tanks moved and want to conquer a country and then I say, stop diplomacy, then the tanks won't stop, but what we are doing now is that we support them so that this cannot happen,” he said.
Scholz expressed concern about the possibility of conflict escalating into ‘war between Russia and NATO’ and emphasised ‘responsibility to do everything possible to ensure that this escalation will not happen’.
“Some said we would have to set up a no-fly zone, I said no, that won't work, it will lead to an immediate escalation of the war, then NATO planes will be fighting Russian planes, we will not do that, and the American President said the same thing as he did when the discussion suddenly started about the question of combat aircraft. So, I can say to him that we will stick to this course,” Scholz said.
German Chancellor also mentioned his contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin stressing the necessity ‘to have these conversations because of course it's clear how we can get out of this mess’.
“Russia must realise that its intention to seize part of Ukraine's territory by force cannot succeed and must withdraw troops so that a fair peace between the two countries can be made possible,” Sholz concluded.
03:09German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during ‘Chancellor talk’ meeting in Marburg on Thursday claimed diplomatic means to be ’not responsible’ in the situation when Ukrainian ’people are being directly attacked’.
“Calling for diplomacy, the right one, is not a substitute for leaving the people who are now being directly attacked alone, that would not be responsible. If the tanks moved and want to conquer a country and then I say, stop diplomacy, then the tanks won't stop, but what we are doing now is that we support them so that this cannot happen,” he said.
Scholz expressed concern about the possibility of conflict escalating into ‘war between Russia and NATO’ and emphasised ‘responsibility to do everything possible to ensure that this escalation will not happen’.
“Some said we would have to set up a no-fly zone, I said no, that won't work, it will lead to an immediate escalation of the war, then NATO planes will be fighting Russian planes, we will not do that, and the American President said the same thing as he did when the discussion suddenly started about the question of combat aircraft. So, I can say to him that we will stick to this course,” Scholz said.
German Chancellor also mentioned his contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin stressing the necessity ‘to have these conversations because of course it's clear how we can get out of this mess’.
“Russia must realise that its intention to seize part of Ukraine's territory by force cannot succeed and must withdraw troops so that a fair peace between the two countries can be made possible,” Sholz concluded.