"All our steps we carefully considered... We have been thinking about how to prevent escalation... to prevent the war from turning into a war between Russia and NATO. Otherwise, it would have been terrible. Therefore, we are all doing and are responsible for making sure that such escalation does not happen," Scholz told a meeting with German nationals in Marburg town in the state of Hesse when asked about Berlin's decision not to send fighter jets and German soldiers to Kiev to prevent escalation with Russia.
Scholz said Berlin is working on the issue of arms deliveries to Ukraine together with allies, especially with Washington, adding that "all the essential steps" have been decided in cooperation with allies.
"We did not take these steps alone. And I clearly say that it will remain so," the chancellor said, adding that "we will remain faithful to this course, and on this, you can trust us. Actions will remain balanced, we will coordinate them with others, and we will avoid any escalation that could lead to a war between Russia and NATO."
Scholz expressed his opinion that "you always have to think about not going too far," recalling that he was against the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine at the very beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine to prevent escalation and avoid NATO aircraft fighting Russian planes. The same goes for the discussion regarding the delivery of military aircraft to Ukraine, the chancellor said.
When asked whether diplomacy would be a more appropriate way to end the Ukraine conflict rather than deliveries of weapons and escalation, Scholz said that he supports diplomatic efforts and thus he remains in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Diplomacy. I support it very much. I am one of the few people who call Putin regularly. I was first in Moscow, where we talked at that long seven-meter table for four hours. And since then, I have been on the phone with him all the time. And I plan to keep doing that," the chancellor said.
However, Scholz noted that he and the Russian leader have a difference of opinions on the Ukraine conflict, saying that diplomacy is important, but it does not mean that the Ukrainians should be left alone.
"What we are doing now is supporting them so that this does not happen. But we do not stop communicating, because, obviously, there have to be peace talks in the end," the chancellor said.
On February 24, 2022, Russia also launched a special military operation in Ukraine in response to calls by the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for protection from Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, aims to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine and to completely liberate Donbas.
Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weaponry for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.