France and Germany Issue Statement Warning Russia Over Ukraine

Diplomats said Russia would face “very severe consequences” in the event of a full-scale war.

At a meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministers of Germany and France assured Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba that Russia would face “very severe consequences” in the event of a full-scale war against Ukraine. Here is the latest news on support for Ukraine from other countries. 

What Kuleba said

Dmytro Kuleba
Foreign Minister of Ukraine

France and Germany assured me that if Russia decides to launch a full-scale military operation against Ukraine, it will have very severe consequences for Russia. 

According to him, the diplomats agreed that “communication will be carried out” with Russia in order to “discourage it from any aggressive actions.” The meeting addressed what specifically Ukraine’s partners could do to deter Russia from aggressive actions, in particular specific consequences for the Russian economy. 

Kuleba did not specify which measures were discussed. He noted: “We will all see this in real life. Leave room for agreements.” 

The minister said that at the meeting with his colleagues it was important for him to see that France and Germany “understand very clearly who is doing what, and that it is Russia that is now escalating the situation in various areas.” 

According to him, they are ready to coordinate their actions with each other, as well as with other countries not part of the Normandy Format, to restrain Russia’s aggressive actions. The ministers also agreed to continue work on organizing a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Normandy Format. 

On November 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia has significant military forces near the border with Ukraine, but called on people not to speculate about the possibility of a large-scale invasion. 

Joint statement

In a joint statement after the meeting with Kuleba, the foreign ministers of Germany and France confirmed that Russia faces serious consequences if it makes a new attempt to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity. 

“Amid renewed concern over the movement of Russian troops and equipment near Ukraine, we call on Russia to adopt a restrained position and provide transparent information about its military activities. Any new attempt to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity will have serious consequences,” said Heiko Maas and Jean-Yves Le Drian.

They called on Ukraine to remain restrained and recalled that in spring 2021 Ukraine had already made a significant contribution to de-escalating the situation, despite Russia’s aggressive rhetoric and its refusal to provide transparent information in line with its international obligations. 

The ministers regret that Russia has repeatedly refused to meet at the level of foreign ministers in the Normandy Format: “We once again express our readiness to meet and engage constructively and substantively. We repeatedly call on Russia to do the same to achieve lasting peace in Donbas.” 

Choosing between gas and support for Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the West will soon face a choice between dependence on Russian gas and defending Ukraine amid tensions on the borders. 

Boris Johnson
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

We hope our friends can realize that soon there will be a choice between becoming even more dependent on Russian hydrocarbons through new giant pipelines and standing up for Ukraine and the cause of peace and stability, if I may put it that way. When we say that we support the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, it is not because we want to be enemies of Russia, and not because we want to isolate this great country in any way. 

In a message to European countries that depend on Russian gas, the prime minister suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may seriously consider restricting supplies through pipelines running through Eastern Europe if the West signals its intention to defend Ukraine. 

“We see a worrying situation on the border. We continue to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine amid Russia’s hostility,” Johnson said. 

In addition, he accused self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, of a “disgusting” attempt to provoke a migrant crisis on the border with Poland in order to undermine European unity. The EU countries are expected to expand sanctions against Belarus.