German, French, Polish leaders meet in Berlin to prevent war in Europe

BERLIN (AA) - The leaders of Germany, France, and Poland urged Russia on Tuesday to back off from its military threats and pursue a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.

"Our common goal is to prevent a war in Europe," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a joint press conference in Berlin with French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish President Andrzej Duda.

"Any further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable, and it would have massive political, economic, and geostrategic consequences for Russia," he stressed, adding that this was the common position of Western nations.

Scholz also underlined their commitment to dialogue and desire to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The talks came as Germany and France have stepped up diplomatic efforts in recent days amid mounting fears of an imminent Russian attack on Ukraine.

The German Chancellor visited Washington on Monday, and French President Macron engaged in an intense two days of shuttle diplomacy between Moscow and Kyiv.