German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned China not to arm Russia in its war on Ukraine and expressed disappointment that the government in Beijing has dialled down its condemnation of the Kremlin’s aggression, Bloomberg reports.
In a speech to the lower house of parliament in Berlin on Thursday, Scholz said he’s frustrated that China has dropped what he called “a clear condemnation of the Russian attack” agreed by leaders at a Group of 20 summit in Bali last year.
“My message to Beijing is clear: Use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops,” Scholz said. “And,” he added, “do not supply weapons to the aggressor Russia.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that the US had evidence that China was considering helping arm Russia, a claim dismissed by Beijing. A senior State Department official told reporters Wednesday that American officials would bring the issue up in meetings on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in India on Thursday.
Scholz spoke to Bundestag lawmakers just over one year after he announced a historic shift in German defense and security policy in response to Russia’s full—scale invasion of its neighbor.
Scholz called it a “Zeitenwende,” or “turning point,” and unveiled a debt-financed fund worth €100 billion to help modernize the armed forces after decades of underfunding. He pledged that Germany would permanently boost the defense budget to meet a NATO guideline of spending 2% of gross domestic product on the military.
Scholz reaffirmed Germany’s support for Ukraine and its “territorial integrity” and said that at the moment there is no sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate a “just peace.”
“Rather, Putin relies on threatening gestures, such as most recently the suspension of the New Start treaty with the USA,” Scholz said. “With a gun to the temple, there is no negotiating.”
Under Scholz’s leadership, Germany has been one of the most generous supporters of the government in Kyiv after breaking with a long-standing policy of not sending weapons into conflict zones.
At the same time, the chancellor has come in for criticism at home and from some international partners for appearing to drag his feet over some decisions, including supplying Ukraine with main battle tanks.
Scholz said Germany is talking with the government in Kyiv and other partners about future security commitments for Ukraine, adding that such “security assurances” are conditional on the nation successfully defending itself.