German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the threat of nuclear weapons use in the Ukraine conflict has “temporarily” receded.
Mr. Scholz said that in response to the international community’s red line, Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Moscow would only use nuclear weapons in retaliation.
But the US called the comments “loose”.
In an interview on Thursday, Mr. Scholz said his recent visit to China had played an important role in “deterring” the threat of nuclear escalation.
He said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that “nuclear weapons should not be used” and that the position was endorsed by the G20 countries soon after.
The German chancellor’s comments came a day after President Putin said the threat of nuclear war was “growing – it would be wrong to hide it”.
Addressing a televised meeting of his Human Rights Council, the Russian leader asserted that Russia would “under no circumstances” use first-class weapons and would not threaten anyone with its nuclear weapons.
“We’re not crazy, we know what nuclear weapons are,” he said, adding: “We’re not going to run around the world spreading this weapon like a razor.”
In the interview, Mr Scholz also addressed comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that “it will be necessary to provide Russia with its own security guarantees, the day it returns to the negotiating table”.
“Russia’s priority now is to end the war immediately and withdraw its troops,” he said, adding that “of course we would like to talk to Russia about arms control in Europe.” Ready. Not changed.”
Despite Mr Scholz’s assessment that the threat had eased thanks to Western pressure, the US criticized Mr Putin’s comments, which he said amounted to “loose talk” and “nuclear sabre-rattling”.
“This is dangerous and goes against the spirit of the statement that has been at the heart of the nuclear non-proliferation regime since the Cold War,” a US State Department spokesman said.
Mr Scholz – who marked a year since being elected chancellor on Thursday – also discussed domestic defense issues that have been in the spotlight since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Shortly after Russia invaded the country, he announced a major defense policy shift, pledging to spend €100bn (£86.4bn) on Germany’s military and increase defense spending to more than 2% of Germany’s GDP. What did
Now Mr Scholz has said he hopes to develop a missile defense shield within the next five years, hinting that the German government is already in talks with various defense system makers to “be ready for concrete decisions”. Communicating.
Among other developments:
- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has been able to meet with prisoners of war held by Russia and Ukraine, mainly from Moscow, after months of obstruction, and their condition and Treatment reviewed. He gave them books, blankets, warm clothes and news of their families.
- Kyrillo Tymoshenko from the Office of the President of Ukraine said that during the last 24 hours, eleven Ukrainian citizens were killed and 17 were injured by Russian firing.
- Ukraine is implementing new emergency power cuts as it tries to repair energy infrastructure damaged by Russian airstrikes. The governor of the Zaporizhzhia region said there was a nationwide energy shortage and that the country currently only had “a third of the [energy] it needs”. Operator Ukrainergo said the situation was complicated by the weather, which had recently included frost, rain, snow and strong winds.
