In a switching conference on the Ukraine crisis, the western allies once again emphasized their determination to react to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine with rapid and far-reaching sanctions.
From German government circles it was said on Friday that the situation was assessed as “very, very serious” by the participants from the European Union and NATO. They want to continue trying to persuade Russia to de-escalate with diplomatic efforts. “We must prevent a war in Europe,” wrote government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit on Twitter.
US President Joe Biden discussed the Ukraine conflict with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other allies on Friday afternoon. Also invited were EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, and Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The White House said the call was to address “common concerns about Russia’s continued military build-up” on the Ukrainian border. The aim is to continue to exchange views on the “coordination of diplomacy and deterrence”.
In the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine, the EU would impose sanctions on Russia’s financial and energy sectors. “The export of high-tech products would also be affected,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday after a phone call with a number of Western heads of state and government on the Ukraine conflict. The punitive measures would be “massive”, she also emphasized.
with dpa/AFP