As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with the leaders of the Baltic states, he expressed understanding of the wider regional influence Russian military activity near Ukraine, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.
On Thursday, February 10, Scholz hosted a meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Latvian President of Ministers Krišjānis Kariņš and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on the topics of Russian military activity and the dynamics of the security situation in Eastern Europe.
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«We want to make it very clear that if Russia continues to engage in aggression, it will have clear political, economic and strategic consequences. What we are currently expecting from Russia is clear steps to de-escalate and reduce its presence and tensions in the region,» the German leader said in a press conference.
According to him, the Baltics are directly affected by Russia’s military actions on the Ukrainian and Belarusian borders and he is happy to discuss the problems directly with his counterparts. The German leader pointed out that NATO was ready to hold negotiations with Moscow and that the alliance’s unity should not be underestimated by Russia, ERR reports.
Germany voices understanding of Baltic security concerns over military activity in Europe
