MOSCOW. Feb 16 (Interfax) - Diplomatic possibilities for de-escalating the situation in Europe have not been exhausted, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said with confidence.
"President Putin spoke at our talks about his consultations with the foreign minister and the defense minister. I agree with this - diplomatic options are not yet exhausted, now it is necessary to work decisively and courageously to resolve this crisis peacefully," Scholz said at a press conference following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He called it a good sign that some Russian military units are being withdrawn from the border with Ukraine. "We are aware that individual units are being withdrawn, and this is a good sign, we hope that this trend will continue. We stand ready together with our partners and allies in the EU, NATO, and Russia to talk about specific steps to strengthen mutual or, more precisely, common security," Scholz said.
In particular, the chancellor noted that the alliance has already offered concrete talks at the Russia-NATO meeting as part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
"The Polish presidency has begun a new process of high-level dialogue. This dialogue will be conducted in the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual recognition of the principles that we have agreed upon jointly within the OSCE," he said.