Germany says sanctions not disclosed to increase pressure on Russia

BERLIN

Germany and its Western allies have prepared a catalogue of sanctions against Russia but they will not disclose it to further increase pressure on Moscow, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Scholz said Germany has agreed with its NATO allies and EU partners on possible measures, and will act if Russia commits further aggression against Ukraine.

“We decided that we won't publish the whole catalogue, and I think that makes sense. Because it's also part of gaining a little bit of power from it – as it's not really measurable what goes into it, and what we are going to do specifically,” he said.

Scholz underscored that Western nations will respond in a united way to any further aggression, and he believes “this message has been understood in Russia”.

The German government is facing pressure to change its cautious policy towards Russia, and block the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, to persuade Kremlin to pull back troops from the Ukrainian border.

The EU’s biggest economy is heavily dependent on Russian gas and oil, and the country’s plan to phase out nuclear power has further increased its dependence. Germany imports nearly 55% of its gas and about 42% of its oil from Russia.