Politico: Scholz Allowed Ukraine To Attack Russia With German Weapons

• 30.05.2024, 14:34

Macron could have convinced him.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported the idea of allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike Russia, an informed source told Politico.

Scholz has changed his position over the past few days. Back on May 28, the German Chancellor stated that he saw no reason to expand the coverage of Western weapons in the Ukrainian conflict. He recalled that for the supply of German weapons to Kiyv, there are "clear rules that have been agreed with Ukraine and that work."

Scholz called the goal of his policy regarding the military conflict in Ukraine "not to allow it to escalate into a very big war."

After that, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, who urged Scholz to allow attacks with Western weapons on Russian military bases on Russian territory. Then the Chancellor said that Ukraine could use the weapons supplied to it "within the framework of international law". This allows its use against the aggressor, which is Russia, notes Politico.

On the same day, Scholz's press secretary Steffen Hebestreit clarified Scholz's position. He noted that “Ukraine's defensive actions are not limited to its own territory, but [can] also extend to the territory of Russia.” At the same time, Hebestreit stressed that he could not disclose the exact agreements with Kiyv on the use of German weapons, since they are confidential.

Also, according to Scholz's press secretary, the Chancellor's statement about the “consensus” with Ukraine on the refusal to strike at Russian territory, made in February last year, was a “statement of facts” that were true at that time, but not necessarily applicable in the future.