Scholz sends warning to Putin - "Russia should not underestimate our determination"

Created: 02/11/2022 05:13

By: Florian Naumann, Sven Hauberg

In order to defuse the situation on the border with eastern Ukraine, Chancellor Scholz spoke to numerous country representatives in Berlin.

British and Russian ministers quarrel publicly.

• Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on Thursday (February 10) after a veritable marathon of talks on the Ukraine crisis

  (update from February 10, 6:18 p.m.)

  .

• Negotiations are also underway in Moscow - there was a dispute on the open stage (

  update from February 10, 2:55 p.m.

  ).

• Before the talks start, a warning comes from the Bundestag: SPD foreign expert Michael Roth assesses the situation in Ukraine as "highly dangerous" (see preliminary report).

• This news ticker on the deliberations surrounding the Ukraine crisis is continuously updated.

Update from February 10, 9:30 p.m .:

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have called for a strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank.

This is "of crucial importance," said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on the sidelines of the meeting with Chancellor Scholz in Berlin.

NATO must "be able to react quickly and react decisively in the region," added Lithuania's head of state.

Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called on the EU and NATO to show "unity, determination and strategic patience".

In their view, any sign of disagreement and lack of resolve can send the wrong signal to Russia.

Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins wants Germany to play a stronger role, saying it is of "fundamental importance".

The three Baltic states all border Russia, and Latvia and Lithuania are also neighboring states of Russia's ally Belarus.

Ukraine crisis: Scholz warns Putin - "Russia should not underestimate our determination"

Update from January 10, 6:18 p.m.:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a statement in Berlin after his marathon talks on the Ukraine crisis.

"It's about nothing less than preventing a war in Europe," Scholz said.

"We are united and determined," added the German head of government regarding talks with NATO allies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

An invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine would "entail very serious economic, political and strategic consequences for Russia," said Scholz.

"At the same time, we are ready for serious talks with Russia," stressed the Chancellor.

NATO has already made "concrete proposals" to Russia on European security issues.

The Chancellor warned Moscow that "Russia should not underestimate our unity and determination".

"We now expect clear steps from Russia to reduce the current tensions in the region." De-escalation is "the order of the day".

Ukraine crisis: Poland's Prime Minister Morawiecki raises allegations against Russia

Update from January 10, 4:10 p.m .:

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has warned of Russia’s attempts to divide NATO partners.

“Putin's political goal is to tear NATO apart, so it's imperative that we show how united we are.

There is indeed a great understanding between us about these tensions that are emerging on NATO's eastern flank," Morawiecki said in Warsaw on Thursday after his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Johnson said neither Poland nor Britain could accept a world where a powerful neighbor intimidates or attacks others.

Poland plays a key role in European security, stressed the British prime minister.

Ukraine crisis: Putin's and Johnson's ministers shred on the open stage - "Unprepared!"

Update from February 10, 2:55 p.m .:

Russia and the West want to avoid an escalation in the Ukraine crisis with talks.

However, not all fronts are currently doing this particularly well.

Not only did Vladimir Putin and Russia cancel participation in the Munich Security Conference - after the talks between British Foreign Minister Liz Truss and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, there was a dispute on the open stage.

After a two-hour conversation on Thursday, Lavrov accused Truss of having traveled to Moscow unprepared.

"Our detailed explanations fell on unprepared ground at least once," Lavrov said at the joint press conference.

Truss, in turn, warned that "peace and stability" in Europe were threatened by Russia.

"There is still time for Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine and embark on the path of diplomacy."

Among other things, the British demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

The rally has been fueling fears in the West of a possible attack by Moscow on Ukraine for weeks, which the Kremlin has denied.

Truss also accused the Russian side of “Cold War rhetoric” during their visit to Moscow.

Ukraine crisis: Lavrov and Truss tear each other up on the open stage - "Could have been broadcast live"

Lavrov was visibly upset - and indicated that Truss should not have come for such a conversation.

"It's been a long time since I took part in diplomatic negotiations that could have been conducted live," complained the 71-year-old, who is Europe's longest-serving foreign minister.

"Because we have heard nothing secret, nothing confidential, nothing confidential - except what is constantly heard from the high stands in London."

Liz Truss and Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday.

A little later there was an argument on the open stage.

© Uncredited

Johnson himself also makes a faux pas elsewhere.

At the press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (

), the British Prime Minister made a mistake: Johnson began his speech on Thursday with the words "When NATO was founded more than 75 years ago.... “, although the military alliance founded in 1949 can only celebrate this birthday in 2024.

Update from February 10, 12:55 p.m .:

Russia and neighboring Belarus under the internationally isolated ruler Alexander Lukashenko* started a huge military maneuver today.

Meanwhile, the Russian Federation and the United States and their allies continue to verbally abuse each other.

At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss demanded that Moscow must give up its "Cold War rhetoric" and start serious negotiations.

“There is an alternative way, a diplomatic way that avoids conflict and bloodshed.

I'm here to urge Russia to go down that path.” Truss said the talks must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as Russia promised in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

"Ideological approaches, ultimatums, threats lead to nothing," Lavrov said at the beginning of the meeting.

However, many of his Western colleagues have “a passion” for this form of communication.

Ukraine crisis: Johnson warns of "war" - and finds words of comfort for Chancellor Scholz

Update from February 10, 12:15 p.m .:

A solution to the Ukraine conflict is not only being worked on in Berlin on Thursday (

) – talks are also underway in Brussels.

There, however, without Russia.

At a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a "war" in Ukraine.

"A war would be catastrophic as well as senseless, tragic and very quickly cost Russia economically," he said.

Stoltenberg spoke of a "dangerous moment for European security".

Johnson attested the “biggest security crisis for Europe in decades”.

In his view, Russia has not yet decided on an attack.

"But that doesn't rule out the possibility that something absolutely catastrophic could happen very soon," the Prime Minister said.

Johnson also did not rule out further British troop reinforcements in Eastern Europe.

Stoltenberg warned that further Russian aggression would lead to more NATO presence, not less.

Boris Johnson (left) and Jens Stoltenberg in London on Thursday.

© DANIEL LEAL

But there was still an opportunity to reduce tension and return to dialogue.

Stoltenberg again called on Russia to use the NATO-Russia Council's discussion forum.

He made that clear in a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, he said.

According to him, the NATO defense ministers in Brussels want to discuss strengthening the so-called battle groups in south-eastern member states from next Wednesday.

At the same time, Johnson defended Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who has been criticized for his position on the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

The British Prime Minister congratulated Scholz "for taking a tougher stance on Nord Stream 2".

Johnson added: "This is difficult for Germany and the German economy."

Ukraine crisis: "Fresh" situation - Scholz invites you to a summit marathon in Berlin

Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an interview.

(Archive photo) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Preliminary report:

Berlin – The situation in the east of Ukraine* is still “extremely dangerous” – at least that’s how the SPD foreign politician Michael Roth assessed the situation on the border with Russia on Thursday morning (February 10) in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”.

In order to defuse the tense situation in Ukraine, a real diplomatic marathon will take place in Berlin on Thursday.

First of all, a second round of talks in the so-called Normandy format* is to take place in the federal capital.

Involved: foreign policy advisors from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine.

The aim is to "reduce differences of opinion" and bring about a de-escalation in the Ukraine conflict, said Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner.

Scholz launches a diplomatic offensive in the Ukraine conflict - Normandy meeting in Berlin

The Russian head of state Vladimir Putin "continues to arm itself," said Roth, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag.

"We have around 120,000 combat-ready soldiers on the Russian-Ukrainian border, and now there is also the fact that Russia has effectively joined Belarus militarily." Russia and Belarus want to officially start joint military maneuvers on Thursday.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the exercises should be larger than usual this time.

The Normandy format was launched in 2014 to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The mediation between Russia and Ukraine by Berlin and Paris led to the Minsk Agreement of 2015. However, Kiev and Moscow regularly accuse each other of violating the agreement.

Ukraine crisis: Scholz meets with Baltic states

The Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine is also causing concern in the three Baltic countries.

On Thursday evening, therefore, Chancellor Olaf Scholz* wants to meet in Berlin with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins.

Before the meeting in the Chancellery, Kallas spoke out in favor of supplying Ukraine with weapons to defend against Russia.

“It is up to each country what kind of help it wants to offer Ukraine.

We think it is very important to help Ukraine in any way we can," she told dpa.

"Estonia is ready to provide arms and ammunition to help Ukraine, in cooperation with our allies, defend itself against Russian aggression." All three Baltic states oppose the commissioning of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline and advocate a hard line towards Russia, with which they share a common border.

Ukraine crisis: Russia's ambassador warns against eastward expansion of NATO

There are also diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis* at other levels.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will first meet the outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Thursday morning and then travel to Poland to discuss the situation with President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also in Moscow, where she called on Russia to immediately withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border.

Meanwhile, Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, has reiterated that his country has no interest in a military conflict with Ukraine.

"We don't want this conflict to break out under any circumstances," he told the newspapers of the editorial network Germany.

At the same time, he accused NATO of broken promises and warned against a military build-up in Ukraine.

NATO should not be expanded to the east and should not continue to arm itself in the vicinity of Russia.

Nechayev also called for the "return of NATO's military-technical infrastructure to the level it had in 1997, when we signed the Russia-NATO Founding Act."

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