Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has warned of an escalation of the war in Ukraine. “We have to worry that the war will escalate,” he said in a question and answer session on RTL television on Monday. The aim must be that Russia does not win the war in Ukraine.

At the same time, Scholz warned that one should not go beyond that. “In view of the fact that it is a nuclear power, that would be a completely wrong objective,” added the Chancellor.

Scholz also ruled out that there would be a peace with Russia in which conquered areas in Ukraine would be legalized. “It is very clear to me that there is only one way out of this situation for Russia if it comes to an agreement with Ukraine,” said Scholz. An agreement will not be possible with a dictated peace in which the Ukraine should sign that it cedes areas. “It will not work.”

It won’t work either, “similar to what happened in other places or, for example, with Crimea, that the war suddenly doesn’t take place in the sense that there’s no more shooting, but then new border lines are drawn and then wait everyone that it gets back to normal.” Rather, it is inevitable that there will be an understanding with Ukraine. Ukraine will be supplied with weapons for its own defense until Russian President Putin sees this.

Scholz promised a speedy delivery of the promised anti-aircraft tank “Gepard” if ammunition could be found in other countries. “It will go relatively quickly if we get commitments from others,” he said, referring to inquiries from Switzerland or Brazil, for example.

Scholz also confirmed that he only wanted to travel to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv if there were specific things to be settled. “I’m not going to join a group of people who do a quick in and out with a photo op. But when it does, then it’s always about very specific things,” said the Chancellor.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) was the first member of the government to travel to Kyiv last week since the beginning of the war, shortly before the President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) had been there. Heads of state and government from many other countries have already visited Russia’s attacked Ukraine to demonstrate their solidarity with the country.

A planned trip by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was canceled at short notice by the Ukrainian side. For a while, this was considered an obstacle to a chancellor’s trip. In the meantime, however, the irritations have been cleared up.