Berlin reaffirms it’s not party to war in Ukraine

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - A German Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday reiterated that his country was not a party to the war in Ukraine following recent statements by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock about being “in a war against Russia.”

“The foreign minister and the federal (German) government, among others, have repeatedly made it very clear that we are not a party to a conflict under international law and that our support for Ukraine does not make us a party to the conflict either,” Christian Wagner said at a routine press briefing in Berlin.

Baerbock caused a stir on Tuesday while addressing a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg by saying: "Germany is already at war with Russia."

Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told public broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday that Germany’s tank deliveries to Ukraine did not mean his country was a party to the war.

“There must be no war between Russia and NATO,” he said.

Reacting to the Baerbock’s controversial statement, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman asked the German ambassador to Moscow to clarify Germany's stance in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

"The German foreign minister says that her country, along with other countries, is at war with Russia. The same ministry does not consider its country a party to the conflict. Given these contradictory statements, the German ambassador to Russia should clarify them," Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.