German chancellor Scholz says 'Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons'

German Chancellor Olaf Sholz believes that the risk of Russian President Vladimir Putin using Nuclear weapons during his ongoing invasion of Ukraine has gone down.

While the war was still raging with "undiminished brutality," Scholz said in an interview with Funke Media to commemorate his first year in office that one thing had changed: "Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons."

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He chalked this up to "the international community marking a red line."

Reiterating his earlier stand of continued communications with Moscow, he said that despite deep divisions the importance of maintaining dialogue with the Kremlin.

Scholz defended Germany's support for Ukraine, which has been criticised in Kyiv and elsewhere in Europe for being too cautious. He claimed that, after the United States, Germany was one of the country's biggest backers, including with regard to the provision of weapons.

"We are doing everything we can to prevent a direct war between Russia and NATO. Such a conflict would have only losers – all over the world."

He further said that Putin must halt the conflict, adding that he (Scholz) will be ready to speak with Russia about arms control in Europe, adding that this was also an offer made prior to the conflict.

In spite of his assertion that a nuclear war was becoming more likely, Putin emphasised on Wednesday that Russia had not "gone mad" and that its nuclear weapons were only meant to serve as a defensive deterrent.

(With inputs from agencies)

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