German chancellor warns of long war in Ukraine

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Only days from the first anniversary of the conflict, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday warned of a long war in Ukraine.

“I think it is wise to be prepared for a long war and it is wise to give (Russian President Vladimir) Putin the message that we are ready to stay all the time together with Ukraine and that we will constantly support the country,” Scholz said during a question-and-answer session with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the Munich Security Conference.

The chancellor stressed it was “not really a good idea” to set a target date for ending the war.

“The really important decision we should take all together is saying that we are willing to do it as long as necessary and that we will do our best,” said Scholz.

He also expressed hope that first German-manufactured Leopard combat tanks could “very soon” be deployed in Ukraine.

Asked about the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine, Scholz said this issue was “not on the agenda.”

This year’s Munich Security Conference is focusing on the war in Ukraine, with Russian government officials not invited.

Last year, Moscow chose not to send a representative in its first no-show in many years.

According to Christoph Heusgen, the conference’s chairman, the three-day event will “take stock” of the war in Ukraine.

Around 40 heads of state and government, more than 90 government ministers, and several heads of international organizations are expected in Munich.

They include US Vice President Kamal Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.