German Finance Minister Lindner urged Chancellor not to speak publicly about sanctions against Russia
Photo: Stine Jacobsen / Reuters
Public statements about containment measures are the worst way to deter Russian aggression, so German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should abandon them, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner told the Tagesschau news channel.
“The Kremlin should not be deluded into believing that it can transcend political and territorial boundaries without paying a high price. The commissioning of Nord Stream 2 (SP-2) is only one aspect,” the minister said.
Linder urged German Chancellor Scholz, who will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 15, not to speak openly about the sanctions. “The worst deterrent is the announcement of measures that Russia can prepare to circumvent [sanctions],” the head of the Ministry of Finance specified.
Earlier, the topics of negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Olaf Scholz in Moscow became known. The German chancellor is expected to discuss a Russian troop buildup on the border with Ukraine and call on Putin to “de-escalate the crisis.”
