German chancellor says he won’t send fighter jets to Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated he does not support a proposal to send fighter jets to Ukraine. 

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday in Berlin alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Scholz said he has already sent Ukraine a “significant” amount of defensive weapons and financial support as Germany could. The Chancellor said, “Apart from that, we have to think very carefully about what we are doing, and this certainly does not include fighter jets” (DW). 

The Germany Chancellor last Wednesday agreed only to sending 14 Leopard, 2 tanks to Ukraine in order to allow other European countries to send theirs. A move which sparked major debate and mounting pressure from allies. The Chancellor green-lit this decision after the US announced that it would send 31 of its Abrams tanks.

In an interview, The Chancellor made it clear, “There is no war between Nato and Russia. We will not allow such an escalation” (The Straits Times). Following the interview, The Chancellor added that it is “necessary” to continue speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin.