Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have warned China not to supply weapons to Russia. Everyone agreed that this should not happen, said Scholz at a joint appearance on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Meseberg near Berlin. But China’s government has also promised not to supply deadly weapons. So far, there is no evidence that China is doing this, von der Leyen said.
Regarding possible support for China with arms deliveries to Russia and new sanctions as a result, Scholz said: “We asked them not to deliver arms to Russia (…), and I am relatively optimistic that in this case we will be successful with our request will be.”
EU Commission President von der Leyen was reluctant to issue sanctions against Beijing in the event of Chinese arms deliveries to Russia. There is no evidence, “but you have to watch it every day.” A journalist asked whether the US had received concrete evidence that China was considering arms sales to Russia.
On the subject of sanctions against China in the event of such deliveries, von der Leyen added that this was “a hypothetical question that can only be answered if it becomes reality and fact”. Scholz said: “We all agree that there must be no arms deliveries.” He added: “The Chinese government has stated that it will not deliver either. We demand that and we are monitoring it.”
According to Scholz, Russian President Vladimir Putin underestimated the unity of the West in supporting Ukraine. “He misjudged the unity of Europe, the United States and all friends of Ukraine, as well as the constant supply of arms that we are making available to Ukraine,” Scholz said in English in an interview with US broadcaster CNN on Sunday was broadcast.
This is how the Ukrainians were able to defend their country. “And they will continue to be able to do this in the future,” Scholz said, reiterating that there would be more arms deliveries. “We are now Ukraine’s strongest supporter in continental Europe and we will continue to be,” said Scholz. “And that’s also because of the weapons that we’re coordinating with the United States and other friends.” Last year Germany spent 14 billion euros in one way or another to support Ukraine.
Scholz emphasized that Germany had made itself independent of the supply of gas, coal and oil from Russia. “A year ago, nobody really expected that we would easily survive economically in a situation in which there were no more gas supplies from Russia to Germany and many parts of Europe,” said Scholz. But Germany has increased imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from western parts of Europe, built new terminals in northern Germany and extended the lifespan of nuclear power plants. “And so we did it – and nothing of what some people expected happened. There is no economic crisis in Germany, there is no gas shortage or anything like that.”