Allowing Ukraine to strike targets in Russia with German weapons does not threaten escalation – Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has emphasised that allowing Ukraine to use the weapons provided by Germany to strike targets in Russia will not lead to any escalation and is necessary for self-defence.

In his comments on Monday, Scholz defended the change in Germany's position, which was first publicly announced last week.

"We are convinced that this will not lead to an escalation because – as the US president has also said – it is only a matter of being able to defend a major city like Kharkiv, for example," he said, as quoted by German regional daily newspaper Rheinische Post.

He added that the decision was made carefully, in consultation with partners.

Earlier, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius explained Berlin's decision to allow Ukraine to use German weapons against military targets in Russia as a "strategic adjustment to the changing situation".