Scholz, German Chancellor: "If Russia Invades Ukraine, It Will Be a Serious Mistake"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned on the 19th (local time) that if Russia invades Ukraine, it would be a serious mistake and that Russia would have to pay a high political, economic, and geopolitical cost, according to major foreign media reports.

Chancellor Scholz made these remarks on the second day of the Munich Security Conference held in Munich, Germany, emphasizing that there is no legitimate reason for Russia to amass 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border.

Scholz stated, "Russia has made the possibility of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) a reason for starting the conflict," pointing out that NATO membership is not on the agenda.

Scholz said the West is prepared to negotiate Russia's security demands, emphasizing, "We will clearly distinguish between demands that we cannot support and legitimate security concerns."

The conference, which opened the previous day and continues until the 20th, is attended by many high-ranking officials from various governments and international organizations, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

At this conference, where the Ukraine crisis is a major agenda item, senior officials from the U.S., Europe, and other Western countries warned Russia that they would respond with strong sanctions if it invades Ukraine, while simultaneously urging dialogue to seek a diplomatic solution.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.