Crisis in Ukraine: Scholz goes to Kyiv and Moscow as frictions mount
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is flying to Ukraine and Russia this week in an effort to help defuse escalating tensions as Western intelligence officials warn that the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasing.
Ahead of his first visits as chancellor to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, Scholz has renewed his warning to Russia and his advocacy of continuing diplomacy in multiple formats.
“It is our job to ensure that we prevent a war in Europe, in that we send a clear message to Russia that any military aggression would have consequences that would be very high [...] and that we are united with our allies,” Scholz told the German parliament’s upper house on Friday.
“But at the same time that also includes using all opportunities for talks and further development,” Scholz said.
Russia has concentrated more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border and launched a series of military manoeuvres in the region but says it has no plans to invade the nation.
Moscow wants guarantees from the West that NATO will not allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members and for the alliance to halt weapon deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe. The US and NATO flatly reject these demands.
Scholz has repeatedly said that Moscow would pay a “high price” in the event of an attack. Still, his government’s refusal to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine or spell out which sanctions it would support against Russia have drawn criticism abroad and at home and raised questions about Berlin’s resolve to stand up to Russia.
Asked on Friday whether Scholz will be taking any new initiative to Kyiv and Moscow or the positions that are
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