Borders must not be moved by force, Germany’s Scholz says

BERLIN (Reuters) – Borders in Europe must not be moved by force, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, adding that after years of rising tensions around Ukraine’s border with Russia, it was impossible to stay silent on the matter.

In a speech delivered by video link to the World Economic Forum, Scholz said it was too soon to say if Russia would help de-escalate the tensions Russia had “created” by massing 100,000 troops along the border of its smaller western neighbour, but Russia knew that the West was determined.

“After years of rising tensions, staying silent is not a sensible option,” he said. “Borders must not be moved by force… The Russian side is aware of our determination.”