Members Of Parliament Ask Chancellor Scholz To Explain Changes In The Provisions For The Use Of Weapons Against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Bundestag member Sahra Wagenknecht asked Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explain publicly his decision to allow the use of German weapons by Ukraine to attack targets in Russian territory.

"I ask Olaf Scholz to make a government statement in connection with this change of direction. Anyone who brings war to Russia with a German weapon will eventually bring it to Germany," he told the media group Funke, as reported by TASS June 3.

"Instead of being careful, other failures, the chancellor who proclaimed himself as a candidate for peace has actually become a security threat for our country," he continued.

Earlier, Germany on Friday last week gave Ukraine the green light to use their gift weapons to defend against an attack launched from within Russia against Ukraine's northern border area around Kharkiv City in accordance with international law.

Germany has discussed with its allies about Russia's attack on the Kharkiv region from positions in neighboring Russia's border areas, a government spokesman said.

"We are jointly confident that Ukraine has rights, which are guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against these attacks," the spokesman said in a statement.

"To do so, Ukraine can also use weapons supplied for this purpose in accordance with its international legal obligations, including those supplied by us," he said.

German officials declined to disclose publicly about how they wanted Ukraine to deploy weapons supplied by the West, fearing rhetoric that could escalate tensions as Russia threatened to launch a tactical nuclear strike against Ukraine.

Berlin's remarks came a day after US officials stated President Joe Biden had quietly changed policies to allow Kyiv to fire weapons supplied by Uncle Sam's country to targets within Russia but only near the border with the Kharkiv region.

"Like millions of Germans, I'm worried about further escalation which one day could end in World War III," Wagenknecht said.

Despite granting permission, the majority of weapons sent to Ukraine by Germany are not suitable for attacking Russia's position far behind the front lines. Howitzers self-propelled, for example, could strike targets at a distance of up to 56 kilometers (35 miles), but were not deployed around the front lines. Meanwhile, France, Britain, and the United States have supplied Ukraine with weapons with a longer range of targets.