OREANDA-NEWS German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany is ready to be a guarantor of security for Ukraine. However, according to him, Ukraine should be able to defend itself in the future.

«We need a truce, Russian troops must be withdrawn. We need a peace agreement that will allow Ukraine to defend itself in the future. We will equip Ukraine in such a way that its security is guaranteed. And we are available as a guarantor country», he said.

According to Scholz, Germany is trying to de-escalate the Ukrainian crisis and is doing everything to avoid NATO's involvement in the fighting in Ukraine. In the situation around Ukraine, «there can be no imposed peace».

«The introduction of a no-fly zone would make NATO a party to the war. I took the oath. I have long said that we should do everything possible to avoid a direct military confrontation between NATO and a well-armed country like Russia, which also has nuclear weapons. I am doing everything to prevent an escalation leading to the Third World War. There should be no nuclear war», the Chancellor said.

The Kiev authorities themselves should formulate the conditions for peace, no one will do it for them, «it would be inappropriate», the chancellor added.