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German chancellor urges West to remain ready for dialogue with Russia

Recently, the West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine

BERLIN, February 9. /TASS/. Western countries need to be ready to maintain dialogue with Russia on all platforms, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin on Wednesday.

"We are confident about the need to stick to the double approach," he said. According to Scholz, first, it includes "readiness for dialogue at various levels and on various platforms to find a political solution within the NATO-Russia Council, the OSCE and especially the Normandy Four group."

"On the other hand, we should make active preparations to be able to act if military aggression [against Ukraine] eventually takes place," the German chancellor noted. In that case, there would be "serious consequences," Scholz added.

The West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as "empty and unfounded," serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such claims and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.

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Germany Olaf Scholz

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