Scholz slams election rival’s 24-hour ultimatum to Putin as “Russian roulette”

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched his election campaign by warning his conservative rival would play “Russian roulette” with Moscow.

Scholz slammed Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz, currently leading in polls three months before the election, for proposing to give Putin an ultimatum.

“He wants to present nuclear power Russia with an ultimatum… that if Putin does not do what Germany wants then from tomorrow onwards German missiles will be fired deep into Russia,” Scholz said.

Western allies have supplied Ukraine with various long-range missiles, including British Storm Shadow and French SCALP with a 250-kilometer range and US ATACMS that can strike targets up to 165 kilometers away. The German-made Taurus cruise missiles, with a range of 500 kilometers and advanced bunker-busting capabilities, could potentially reach Moscow from Ukrainian territory.

“All I can say is: be careful with Germany’s security, you don’t play Russian roulette,” said Scholz, who campaigns as a “peace chancellor” while making Germany Ukraine’s second-biggest arms supplier.

His government has refused to send Kyiv long-range Taurus missiles that could strike deep inside Russia, even after Britain, France, and the US provided similar weapons.

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced Ground Forces commander Oleksandr Pavliuk with General Mykhailo Drapatyi and appointed Oleh Apostol as deputy commander-in-chief. Zelenskyy said the changes aim to “significantly increase combat capability” and “introduce innovative approaches to personnel management.”

The reshuffle comes as Zelenskyy indicated openness to temporarily ceding territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership covering Ukraine’s remaining territory, suggesting lost eastern regions could later be recovered through diplomatic negotiations after a ceasefire.

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