Scholz: Act quickly in case of military aggression against Ukraine

Berlin (dpa) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as a “very, very serious threat to peace in Europe.”

In the event of military aggression against Ukraine, which would endanger its territorial integrity and sovereignty, there would be “tough reactions and sanctions,” he said in Berlin on Sunday. These had been carefully prepared, Scholz said, and they would take effect immediately, together with Germany’s allies in Europe and NATO.

Scholz plans to travel first to Ukraine on Monday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and then to Russia on Tuesday, where he is due to meet President Vladimir Putin.

“In both cases, it is a matter of sounding out how we can secure peace in Europe,” Scholz said. In recent days, the crisis over the Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine has dramatically escalated.

The various international formats for talks must be used to find a way out of the crisis, Scholz said. “Ukraine can be sure that we will show the necessary solidarity, just as we have in the past.” Germany had supported Ukraine the most of all countries with economic aid, he said. “And we will continue to do so.”

The German government had earlier raised the possibility of further defence support for Ukraine ahead of Scholz’s visit to Kiev on Monday – but shipments of lethal weapons remain off the table.

On a wish list provided by Ukraine amid fears of a possible Russian invasion, there are “one or two things … that can be looked at more closely,” a German government source said on Sunday.

While also taking the political situation into account, Berlin would need to assess the availability of such items, which may also be needed by Germany’s own Bundeswehr, sources said.

Scholz’s meeting with Zelensky is not expected to result in a commitment. However, Germany is expected to agree to fresh financial aid for Ukraine during the visit, which Kiev has also requested.

Since 2014, Germany has provided almost €2 billion ($2.3 billion dollars) in aid to Ukraine.

The German coalition government, which took office in December, has stood firm in its opposition to delivering lethal weapons to Ukraine, even as tensions with Moscow spiral.

However, Germany has approved of arms deliveries to Ukraine on a small scale since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014, sparking a conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east that continues to this day.

Most recently, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht pledged to send 5,000 protective helmets to the Ukrainian military.

A wish list from the Ukrainian embassy dated February 3 includes a number of armaments that are not lethal weapons, such as electronic tracking systems, demining equipment, protective suits, digital radios, radar stations and night-vision equipment.