Berlin: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he expects Russia to make steps to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Scholz said, “An important issue is also how to act jointly in relation to a very serious situation along the Ukrainian-Russian border.
“There are a lot of military personnel stationed there, so everything must be done so that the situation develops differently than the way it is sometimes feared.
“We therefore expect from Russia unequivocal steps that would contribute to the de-escalation of the situation. And we are unanimous that military aggression will entail grave consequences.” Scholz noted that he welcomes negotiations in numerous formats with Russia, including within the Normandy format.
“It should be so. We take the situation seriously, we clearly say what will happen if it comes to military aggression – it happens. And thirdly, at the same time we are doing everything to get out of this situation through talks,” he said.
