Scholz bets on his ‘prudent’ Ukraine policy ahead of re-election bid – Politico

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is betting his political future on what he calls his cautious approach to Ukraine, Politico reports, writes UNN.

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In a speech to parliamentarians, Scholz said he stood by his decision not to supply Kiev with long-range missiles that could be used to strike Russian territory, arguing that such an approach helped avoid an escalation of the war.

“I emphasize that I think it is right that I played my role without change to ensure that there was no escalation,” Scholz told the German parliament on Wednesday. “I am glad that I was allowed to take responsibility in these difficult times, so which I’m sure helped us to act measuredly and judiciously in a dangerous situation.”

With Germany’s snap election set for February following the collapse of Scholz’s three-party coalition last week, the chancellor, the newspaper noted, “seems to present himself as a safer choice than his main opponent, conservative leader Friedrich Merz, who has taken a more hawkish stance in issues of military support to Ukraine”.

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Mertz, who heads the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), criticized Scholz for refusing to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine. If the Kremlin refuses its ultimatum to stop bombing civilian objects in Ukraine, Mertz said that Berlin should supply Kyiv with German-made Taurus cruise missiles.

According to current polls, Mertz is more likely to become the country’s next chancellor. Germany’s conservatives lead by a wide margin at 32 percent, while Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) comes in third with 16 percent, just behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

“But Scholz seems to believe that he can regain some of the SPD’s lost positions by presenting himself as a sensible choice for communication with Russia’s Vladimir Putin,” the publication writes.

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According to the publication, Scholz has long tried to strike an “awkward balance” regarding Ukraine, touting the fact that Germany has given Kiev more military aid than any other European country, while at the same time portraying himself as a leader who can prevent the war from spiraling out of control. Members of his SPD even call him the “chancellor of peace.”

“Maintaining this position may prove difficult with Trump’s return to the White House. The United States has been the largest source of military aid to Ukraine to date, but Trump has threatened to end aid, which may force European countries to increase their support,” the publication notes.

Mertz, for his part, reportedly avoided direct mention of aid to Ukraine during his parliamentary speech on Wednesday.

“Germany needs a fundamentally different policy, especially when it comes to migration, foreign policy, security and European policy, as well as economic policy,” he said.

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