BERLIN (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Borders in Europe must not be moved by force, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, adding that after years of rising tensions around Ukraine’s border with Russia, it was impossible to stay silent on the matter.
In a speech delivered by video link to the World Economic Forum, Mr Scholz said it was too soon to say if Russia would de-escalate the tensions it had created by massing 100,000 troops along the border of its smaller western neighbour, but Russia knew that the West was determined.
“Staying silent is not a sensible option,” he said. “Borders must not be moved by force... The Russian side is aware of our determination.”
Underscoring Germany’s determination to protect Ukraine from Russian aggression, he urged Moscow to embrace “the gains of cooperation”.
Mr Scholz said it was still too early to tell whether diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict will bear fruit, while highlighting Germany’s efforts to foster talks with Russia in various international formats.
Germany is committed to protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Russia should recognise that “right makes might” and not the other way round, he said.
“I hope they also realise that the gains of cooperation outweigh the price of further confrontation,” he added.
Fears are mounting that Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine could escalate into full-scale armed conflict.
President Vladimir Putin has denied he plans to invade Ukraine, despite massing more than 100,000 troops along Russia’s frontier with Ukraine.
Mr Putin has demanded security guarantees from Nato that the military alliance has said it cannot give. Moscow wants “legal guarantees” that Ukraine will never join Nato.
Mr Scholz will hold talks in Berlin on Thursday with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, before Mr Blinken meets his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday.
Germany signalled on Tuesday that it could stop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia if Moscow invades Ukraine. The Kremlin said on Wednesday the fact no gas was being shipped through Nord Stream 2 was bad for gas consumers and economic development during the Covid-19 pandemic.
