Scholz and Macron feud over arms for Ukraine

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, German policy has been dictated by one guiding principle: Avoid a direct confrontation with Russia at all costs, Politico reports.

But after a summit of European leaders in Paris on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron threw German-style caution to the wind.

"We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," Macron told reporters. “Everything is possible,” he said, including sending Western troops to Ukraine.

“We cannot be linked at any point or place to the targets that this system can reach,” Scholz told reporters in Berlin. “This clarity is also necessary. I'm surprised that some people aren't even moved by it, that they don't even think about whether what we're doing could lead to a kind of involvement in war."