Olaf Scholz avoids Russian airspace while returning from Japan amid Ukraine war: Report

As the Ukraine war continues to escalate unabated, the German Chancellor on Friday avoided Russian airspace on his way back from Japan. He even crossed the North Pole at 1 p.m. (German time) with the Airbus A350 "Kurt Schumacher" - the largest and most modern machine of the Bundeswehr flight readiness," German news outlet Spiegel reported. The alternative route from Japan to Germany was first north via Alaska, then west across the Arctic Ocean, and lastly through Finland. The plane landed in the evening at BER Airport in Schönefeld, near Berlin, after a trip of around 13 hours and 30 minutes and 12,319 kilometers. 

It took the German Chancellor about an hour and 20 minutes longer than the normal route, which crosses China before passing through Russia. Because of the ongoing war, the airspace over Ukraine is closed, and western airlines avoid flying across Russia for safety reasons. Even for seasoned pilots, flying over the North Pole is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “That's exciting. Those are things you don't do very often," said the Luftwaffe's captain, Michael Weyerer, who safely steered the chancellor to Berlin with co-pilot Phillip Reipert, as per Spiegel. 

Germany prepares to halt Russian gas supplies

Meanwhile, as concerns over payment terms mount, Germany has begun making preparations for a possible halt in Russian gas supplies. On April 28, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that measures to reduce Germany's reliance on Russian energy imports had been in consideration for a long time, even before President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine. During his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the German Chancellor stated that while Russian coal is already being phased out, gas is more challenging. 

Poland asks Germany to provide more assistance to Ukraine

Earlier this week, the Poland government stated that Germany should contribute additional humanitarian, military, financial, and medical help to Ukraine to fight the Russian aggression. On April 26, the statement was made by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki ahead of his visit to Berlin. It should be mentioned here that the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate and entered its 66th day on Saturday, April 30.