German chancellor warns Russia of ‘immediate’ sanctions if it attacks Ukraine

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Sunday warned Russia of “immediate” sanctions if Moscow commits further military aggression against Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Russia’s escalating military buildup has become a “very, very serious threat” to peace in Europe.

“A military aggression against Ukraine, which endangers its territorial integrity and sovereignty, will result in harsh reactions and sanctions,” he warned, adding that Germany and its allies are prepared to put them into effect “immediately.”

Scholz also said that the German and French governments are still working for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

“I will travel to Ukraine tomorrow for talks with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky. Then, (on Tuesday) I will travel to Moscow and meet with President Putin. In both visits, we’ll try to find out how we can secure peace in Europe,” he said.

Tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and the West escalated over the weekend after Western media reports claimed that Moscow could launch an attack on Ukraine on Wednesday.

Last week US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that Russian forces were in a position “to be able to mount a major military action,” but Moscow immediately denied these reports, accusing Washington of conducting a “mass disinformation campaign" against Russia.

Moscow recently amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, prompting fears that the Kremlin could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Russia has denied it is preparing to invade and accused Western countries of undermining its security through NATO’s expansion towards its borders.

The Kremlin also issued a list of security demands to the West, including a rollback of troop deployments from some ex-Soviet states, and guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia would not join NATO.