Scholz criticizes NATO's plan to create a no-fly zone in western Ukraine - Bild

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticized NATO's plan to create a no-fly zone in western Ukraine. In his opinion, this would mean direct involvement of the Alliance in the war in Ukraine. According to Scholz, these plans could turn Germany into a "party of war" and provoke Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to an unpredictable reaction.

Olaf Scholz said this during a speech at an event of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in Karlsruhe. His words are quoted by Bild.

No decision should be made "with foam on the lips," the chancellor said in Karlsruhe, emphasizing that he stands for "prudence."

According to the newspaper, the German chancellor reacted so emotionally to Anders Fogh Rasmussen's plan for Ukraine's rapprochement with NATO, which he announced in preparation for the next NATO summit in Washington in mid-July.

The plan calls for linking Ukraine as quickly and closely as possible with its Western NATO partners and strengthening it in the war against Russia to make a peaceful solution possible. It says that "the credible prospect of NATO membership" gives Ukraine security and shows Russia "that it has nothing to gain from war." A "clear message to Russia that it must end the war" is needed.

The document proposes, among other things, to deploy an air defense shield "along Ukraine's western border" to "protect NATO from Russian missile and drone attacks, and to protect Ukrainian civilian and military assets in a clearly defined area in western Ukraine."

According to NATO's plan, this could relieve Ukraine's air defense in the west, allowing the Ukrainian army to transport its own defense systems to the front and defend cities such as Dnipro and Kharkiv from Russian air attacks.

Scholz called these plans "dangerous talk by warmongers". He reminded that at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the issue of introducing a no-fly zone was already raised.

"There is no common sense in saying now: let's do it, but maybe for 70 or 100 kilometers. We have to focus on supporting Ukraine, but we do not want to become a party to the conflict and will not become one. Neither we, nor Europe, nor the United States," Olaf Scholz said.

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