German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not threaten him.
Speaking to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Scholz was asked whether Putin threatened Germany with a missile: “No, Putin did not threaten me or Germany. “In our phone conversations, our very different perspectives on the war in Ukraine became clear,” he said. Recently, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that Putin threatened his country with a missile in a phone call before the invasion, which the Kremlin denied. After Germany allowed Leopard-2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine, Prime Minister Scholz said that Putin’s “German tanks are back in Russia “.When asked about his claim that he would threaten the ‘Turkey’, he said: ‘These words are part of a series of exaggerated historical comparisons he used to justify his attack on Ukraine. But there can be no justification for this war. Russia is waging a brutal war against Ukraine. Together with our allies, we are supplying war tanks to Ukraine so that it can defend itself. We carefully weighed each weapon delivery and coordinated closely with our allies, especially the United States. This joint approach prevents the war from escalating,” he said.
‘BUYING TANKS IS DIFFERENT’
Germany, which resisted for a long time to give the Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine, was criticized in the international arena in this respect. Despite the decision to give the tanks, Scholz, who was criticized again because the process would take longer, was asked how he would speed up the process. In response, Scholz replied, “Tanks cannot be ordered from the dealership like a new car, because the equipment is not available anywhere, ready to be picked up. The state must agree on long-term supply contracts with the industry for manufacturers to invest in permanent production,” he said.
