German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a statement after talks with European leaders and US President Joe Biden, in Berlin, Germany, April 19, 2022. REUTERS / Lisi Niesner / Pool
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- Scholz warns that Germany could be considered a country at war if it sends tanks
- Scholz may soon be forced to decide to approve exports
- He says the main priority is to avoid nuclear war
- He does not believe that the ban on Russian gas will end the war
BERLIN, April 22 (Reuters) – NATO must avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia that could lead to a third world war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with Der Spiegel when asked about Germany’s failure to supply heavy weapons. Ukraine.
Scholz is facing growing criticism at home and abroad for his government’s apparent reluctance to supply heavy weapons, such as tanks and howitzers, to Ukraine to help repel Russian attacks, even as other Western allies increase supplies.
Asked in an extensive interview published on Friday why he said the supply of tanks could lead to a nuclear war, he said there was no rulebook to indicate when Germany could be considered a party to the war in Ukraine.
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“That is why it is even more important that we consider each step very carefully and coordinate closely with each other,” he was quoted as saying. “Avoiding escalation to NATO is a top priority for me.
“That’s why I don’t focus on polls or let myself be irritated by piercing calls. The consequences of a mistake would be dramatic. “
This was a departure from his previous statements on the subject, focusing on the fact that the German army’s supplies were too depleted to send any heavy weapons to the battlefield, while those that German industry said it could supply , cannot be easily put into use.
Asked why he would not explain that his government’s reluctance was due to the threat of nuclear war, he said such “simplifications” were not helpful.
However, Scholz may soon be forced to take a clear position on whether heavy weapons can be sent directly from Germany to Ukraine. The newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported that the defense company Rheinmetall has applied for a license to sell 100 Marder armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
According to the contractor, Marders can be delivered quickly, but all military exports must be approved by a commission that includes the chancellor.
In the past, Germany has allowed other countries, including the Netherlands, to send heavy weapons it produces to Ukraine.
Separately, Scholz defended his decision not to immediately suspend German imports of Russian gas in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
“I absolutely do not see how the gas embargo would end the war. “If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin was open to economic arguments, he would never have started this crazy war,” Scholz said.
“Second, you act like it’s about money. But it is about avoiding a dramatic economic crisis and losing millions of jobs and factories that will never open again.
Scholz said this would have significant consequences not only for Germany but also for Europe and future funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Russia calls its invasion a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “denationalize” Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies have dismissed this as a false pretext for a war that killed thousands and uprooted a quarter of Ukraine’s population.
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Report by Riham Alkousaa and Kirsti Knolle; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Edited by Tomasz Janowski and Jonathan Oatis
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