Russia-Ukraine war: Germany's Scholz says risk of Russia using nuclear weapons now low

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the risk of Russian leader Vladimir Putin resorting to nuclear weapons has lowered now. Scholz said that the diminished risk was a result of international pressure as the war in Ukraine continues.

In an interview published Thursday by Funke media that marked Scholz’s one year in office, Scholz said that the risk posed by Russia resorting to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine has lowered due to international pressure. However, Scholz noted that Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with “undiminished brutality”, but that dialogue must be maintained with the Kremlin.

“Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons. As a reaction to the international community marking a red line,” said Scholz, who also told Putin to stop the war but afterwards prepare for arms control negotiations with Russia, an offer that has existed before the war.

Scholz also defended his country’s support for Ukraine, which has been criticized by Kyiv and other European countries for being too reserved. Scholz said that Germany is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine after the United States, including military assistance with weapons.

“We are doing everything we can to prevent a direct war between Russia and NATO. Such a conflict would only have losers – all over the world,” said Scholz, adding that he expected Europe’s biggest economy to be able to make it through the winter months and to remain a strong and successful nation in reducing its reliance on Russian energy.

Scholz said that they are making all the “necessary decisions” to become energy independent in the long run, adding that they are hoping for Germany to become “climate-neutral” and to be able to produce its own energy without natural gas or oil by 2045.

The British defense ministry, in its intelligence bulletin on Friday, said that Iranian one-way attack drones were being used by Russia in its strikes across Ukraine. The ministry noted that this was the first report in three weeks that Russia has used such drones and that it meant Russia likely exhausted its initial supply of Iranian drones and has since restocked.

“It is likely that Russia exhausted its previous stock of several hundred Shahed-131s and 136s and has now received a resupply,” said the ministry.