After more troops had been gathered on the border between Ukraine and Russia in the past few days, Olaf Scholz now intervened in the conflict.
Update from December 22nd, 9.25 a.m.:
In view of the Russian troop movement on the border with Ukraine, according to a media report, NATO reacted with a first concrete military measure. The operational readiness of the rapid reaction force has been increased, reports Die
Welt
(Wednesday edition), citing informed NATO diplomats. According to this, the task force known as the so-called NATO spearhead must be ready for deployment within five days of this Monday to move to a crisis area.
So far, the force with the English name Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) had to be ready within seven days. Other units of the reaction force, such as special forces or logisticians, have also been placed on heightened alert, so that in the event of a crisis they too have to be ready for a move much more quickly. In addition to escalating the Ukraine conflict, which has raged again in recent weeks, it is also about improving the protection of the allies for the eastern member states. They feel increasingly threatened by the latest developments on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
A NATO spokesman did
not want to comment on
the new resolutions
, according to
the
world
.
However, the NATO allies had "made it clear" that any further aggression by Russia would have "costs and consequences".
First report from December 21st, 9:15 p.m .:
Moscow / Berlin - In the midst of massive tensions between Moscow and Berlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin * signaled readiness for dialogue during a phone call with Chancellor Olaf Scholz *.
The Kremlin in Moscow announced that both sides had shown an interest in developing Russian-German relations on Tuesday.
It was the first phone call between the two of them since Scholz took office.
According to the German government, Scholz and Putin also spoke about the increased Russian military presence in the Ukraine *.
The Chancellor expressed his concern about the situation and spoke of the urgent need for de-escalation, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin.
In addition, it was about the status of the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Scholz emphasized the need to advance the negotiations in Normandy format.
Ukraine conflict: Putin and Scholz negotiate binding security guarantees
There was no information in the Kremlin announcement whether the two also spoke about the murder of a Georgian in the Berlin zoo.
The Berlin Superior Court sentenced a Russian to life imprisonment for murder and accused Russia of “state terrorism”.
Moscow and Berlin deported each other's diplomats.
The Kremlin announced that Putin had informed Scholz about the Russian proposals for binding security guarantees.
Russia had handed over a draft agreement to NATO, the US and its allies, including Germany.
In it, Russia calls for an end to NATO's eastward expansion, which it sees itself threatened by.
Accordingly, at Scholz's request, Putin also presented in detail the Russian view of the Ukraine conflict.
Video: Ukraine: Putin wants immediate negotiations with NATO and the US
Ukraine blames Russia for the war in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Ukrainian government troops and Russian-backed separatists have been facing each other there since 2014.
The Kremlin chief had pointed out that Ukraine was not adhering to the Minsk peace plan.
Russia is ready to continue negotiating a solution with France, Germany and Ukraine in the so-called Normandy format.
Putin had previously spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron on the phone.
Scholz and Putin agreed to continue their contacts.
The Kremlin pointed out that the two knew each other through the town twinning between Hamburg and St. Petersburg.
Scholz was first mayor at the time;
St. Petersburg is Putin's hometown.
(dpa / fmü) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.