BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged continued military support Thursday to Ukraine but noted his government will act “responsibly” to avoid a confrontation between NATO and Russia.

“We always pay attention that the decisions we take would not escalate this into a war between Russia and NATO. Ukraine is attacked by Russia, Ukraine is defending itself, and it will be supported by us,” he said.

The Social Democrat politician made the remarks during a citizens' dialogue meeting in the eastern city of Erfurt, where he addressed questions from participants.

Scholz blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting the conflict and accused him of pursuing imperialist ambitions as he responded to a question about the Ukraine war.

He warned that Putin’s attempt to change borders by force could trigger additional wars.

“If one looks in an atlas, old maps going back to 50, 100, 200, or 300 years … one sees that many countries could find reasons to claim territory from their neighbors,” said Scholz. “And if all countries do the same, then this could spark a fire, which we may not be able to stop anymore. And that’s the dangerous thing about the Russian war of aggression.”

“We may disagree on many things, but for long, we have had a consensus that borders must not be moved by force. And he (Putin) has challenged this,” he said.

Scholz reiterated Germany’s support for Ukraine and said his government will continue to follow a responsible foreign policy.