According to the German Chancellor, in such important things as weapons, it should be about facts, about rational considerationBERLIN, January 30.
/tass/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz literally lost his temper, showing obvious irritation, after a question from journalists about the supply of fighter jets to Kiev, asked him during a visit to Chile as part of a tour of Latin American countries. This was reported on Monday by the newspaper Die Welt.
According to her, the head of the German government was asked to comment on the words of the co-chairman of the ruling coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) Saskia Esken about the supply of German combat aircraft to Ukraine. A few days ago, in one of her TV interviews, she did not rule out the supply of German fighters to Kiev. "In such important things as weapons, it should be about facts, about rational consideration. And that's why it says it all," Scholz replied laconically. At the same time, the chancellor, according to the newspaper, did not name Esken, but it was clear who he meant.
In his opinion, domestic political motives, rather than support for Ukraine, come to the fore. This is an unwritten diplomatic rule, the publication points out, because it would be rude to the receiving party. In accordance with the unspoken rule of diplomacy, during foreign trips, politicians avoid comments concerning the domestic policy of their state. However, such a question from journalists, as the newspaper points out, largely influenced the tone of the German Chancellor.
After an intense debate about the supply of combat tanks to Kiev, Scholz, as Die Welt notes, seeks at all costs to avoid further discussions about sending fighters to Ukraine. In addition, the head of the German government, as the publication clarifies, again indicated that he and US President Joe Biden ruled out the introduction of "no-fly zones" at the very beginning of the conflict, "because it would lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO." At the moment, according to the newspaper, Scholz does not need these debates at all. "In fact, everything has already been said about this. And me too," the Chancellor concluded.
In recent days, Scholz and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius have repeatedly stated that Germany is not going to supply fighters to Ukraine. On January 26, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, after the decision of a number of Western countries to send tanks to Kiev, also called for the provision of modern NATO combat aircraft and long-range missiles. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba claimed that some European colleagues "took to work" the issue of providing Kiev with American F-16 fighters. On January 27, John Kirby, coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council, said that Washington was not surprised by Kiev's request for the supply of fighters, including F-16, but new ones there are no ads in this regard.