BERLIN — On the final Saturday in February, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gathered his prime advisers in his huge, glass-walled workplace and skim aloud a speech condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — remarks that will rework his nation’s safety and protection coverage.
As he voiced explicit phrases within the draft, his advisers proposed alternate options. Scholz, 63, who has identified his nation solely at peace, was determined to avert a 3rd world conflict, mentioned a senior German official who, like others near the chancellor, spoke on the situation of anonymity to recount personal discussions. Initially, that concern made Scholz reluctant to talk of armaments, and above all, of sending weapons to Ukraine.
However when aides offered the chancellor with the query of arming Ukraine instantly or just releasing German-made weapons bought by accomplice nations, a request being weighed the identical day, he authorized each — assessing that there was ample assist inside his authorities and occasion to jettison Germany’s long-standing aversion to exporting weapons into battle zones.
