Risk of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine war declined for now: Germany’s Scholz

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Moscow has ‘stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons’ in response to international pressure
He added though the war was continuing with ‘undiminished brutality’, it was important that talks with the Kremlin continued

Germany

Reuters

Published: 9:16am, 8 Dec 2022

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The risk of Russian President Vladimir President Putin using nuclear weapons as part of his war in Ukraine has decreased in response to international pressure, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview published on Thursday.

The war was continuing with “undiminished brutality” though, for now, one thing had changed, Scholz told Funke media in an interview to mark his first year in office.

“Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons. As a reaction to the international community marking a red line.”

Scholz lauded his recent visit to China as having contributed to the development.

“During my visit to Beijing, Chinese President Xi [Jinping] and I jointly expressed that nuclear weapons must not be used. Shortly afterwards, the G20 countries reaffirmed this position,” he said.

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Despite deep divisions, it was important that dialogue with the Kremlin continued, Germany’s leader added.

Putin said on Wednesday that the risk of a nuclear war was rising but insisted Russia had not “gone mad” and that it saw its own nuclear arsenal as a purely defensive deterrent.

Funke said the interview with Scholz was conducted on Monday and quotes authorised on Wednesday afternoon.

Scholz said Putin had to stop the war but afterwards, he would be prepared to talk to Russia about arms control in Europe, adding this had also been on offer before the war.

Scholz was also asked about controversial comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that it would be necessary to provide “guarantees for its own security to Russia, the day it returns to the table” of negotiations.

“The priority now is for Russia to end the war immediately and withdraw its troops,” he said.

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Defending Germany’s support for Ukraine, which critics in Kyiv and elsewhere in Europe say has been too reticent, Scholz said after the United States, Berlin was one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine, including with weapon supplies.

“We are doing everything we can to prevent a direct war between Russia and Nato. Such a conflict would have only losers – all over the world,” he said.

Scholz said he expected Europe’s biggest economy to get through the winter well and to remain a strong and successful industrial nation as it reduces its reliance on Russian energy.

“We are now making the necessary decisions to become independent in the long term. From 2045 onwards, we want to be completely climate-neutral and generate our energy entirely without natural gas, coal or oil,” he said.

Asked if he would stand again as chancellor in the next election, he said: “Of course”.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse