The risk of Moscow resorting to nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict has diminished because the international community “has drawn a red line” against Russia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview published Thursday.
“One thing has changed for now: Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons,” the chancellor said in an interview with the German media group Funke and Ouest France.
The German leader believes in this sense that his recent trip to China has paid off. “During my visit to Beijing, Chinese President Xi and I jointly declared that nuclear weapons should not be used. Soon after, the G20 countries reaffirmed this position,” he said.
“We are ready to discuss with Russia”
Asked about the recent controversy unleashed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who considered that Russia should be given “guarantees” to find a good balance once the war in Ukraine is over, Olaf Scholz acknowledged that in the long term the issue of security architecture would emerge.
“The priority is for Russia to immediately end the war and withdraw its troops. It is true that the next question is how we can guarantee the security of Europe,” he said.
“Of course, we are ready to discuss arms control in Europe with Russia. We had already proposed it before the war and this position has not changed,” he added.
After several nuclear weapons threats by Russian officials in recent months, Vladimir Putin hinted on Wednesday that Moscow will only use nuclear weapons in response to such an attack.
However, he noted that “the threat of nuclear war is growing” in view of the Russia-West confrontation over Ukraine, blaming Americans and Europeans.
Source: BFM TV
