Putin Not Ready to Talk about a Just Peace – Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not currently believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate a "just peace" in Ukraine.

"Is Putin even ready for negotiations on a return to these principles and a just peace? Nothing indicates this at the moment," Scholz said on Thursday, 2 March during his speech in the Bundestag dedicated to the war in Ukraine.

Rather, Putin relies on threatening gestures, such as suspending the nuclear treaty with the United States, Scholz added.

Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt spoke about the principle of "balanced reciprocity" in view of the Helsinki process of the 1970s, but this is out of the question as long as Putin threatens the existence of Ukraine and at the same time the foundations of the European peace order, the Chancellor noted.

"It’s impossible to negotiate with a gun held to your head, except for your own submission," Scholz said.

Furthermore, it is all the more remarkable that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented proposals for a durable, just peace at the G20 summit in November, Scholz added.

Scholz promised to back Ukraine for as long as necessary, calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

On 1 March, Scholz pledged to increase ammunition production due to the war in Ukraine.