The latest on Ukraine and Russia tensions

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper in an exclusive interview why Germany won’t say explicitly if the Nord Stream 2 pipeline won’t happen if Russian invades, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz would only vow that Germany would act together with its allies, especially the United States, and “take the same steps,” but he did not outright say that Germany would stop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

He went on to saying the message to Russia is that “if you invade Ukraine, this will have a very high price for you, which will have a high impact on your economy and the chance for development.”

“And we are ready to take steps that will have costs for us, on the one hand,” said Scholz, adding they were simultaneously trying to act on the diplomatic front to ease pressures and prevent conflict.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted to CNN that the United States and Germany are on the same page when it comes to Russia and Ukraine, even as he refused to discuss the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany.

Scholz declined to address the pipeline in an exclusive interview Monday with CNN’s Jake Tapper, but said that NATO’s response to a potential Russian invasion would be unified.

Despite Scholz’s assurances, the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline set to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany cast a shadow over the German leader’s visit to the White House on Monday. At a joint news conference, President Biden was explicit in saying that the pipeline would be stopped in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“The notion Nord Stream 2 would go forward with an invasion by the Russians is just not going to happen,” Biden said.

Scholz, however, did not specifically address the pipeline at the news conference, beyond saying that the two countries and NATO were on the same page when it came to sanctions and responding to Russia’s aggression.

On Monday, a meeting between German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was canceled, the official reason being a scheduling error.

A source close to the Ukrainian government, however, told Tapper that the meeting did not take place because the German foreign minister refused to say whether Germany would abandon the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline if Russia invades, and that Germany has not provided military assistance to Ukraine.

Scholz said the idea that Germany was more aligned with Russia than the West was “nonsense,” arguing in Monday’s interview that Germany has been an important financial partner to Kyiv.

“We are the biggest donator, together with the United States, to Ukraine,” Scholz said. “It’s more than $2 billion we’ve spent since 2014.”

Scholz also addressed the prospect of renegotiating the Iranian nuclear deal, which Germany played a role in when the agreement was first reached in 2015.

“This is now the time for Iran to make a decision,” Scholz told Tapper. “There is no time for prolonging the debates and things like that which happened in the past.” 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a joint news conference with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on February 7 in Washington, DC.

Sen. Chris Murphy, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s indirect answer on whether the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be shut down if Russia invades Ukraine.

Pressed on whether he had knowledge of Germany making this kind of commitment privately, Murphy said he was referencing President Biden’s answer during a joint news conference with Scholz: “I take the administration at their word when they say Nord Stream 2 is not going forward if the Russians invade.”

Murphy added, “But, you know, I don’t claim to understand German politics and the nature of this coalition, but it seems to constrain what the chancellor can say out loud about Nord Stream 2.”

This comes as Republicans and Democrats are continuing to negotiate over package to sanction Russia, with the key sticking points being pre-invasion sanctions and Nord Stream 2. 

“Obviously time is not on our side here,” he said of negotiations, “So we’ve got to put this to bed in the next couple days,” Murphy said.

Some context: Nord Stream 2 is one of several pipelines that Russia has laid underwater in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea to replace pipelines that that run through eastern Europe.

A meeting between German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been canceled, the official reason being a scheduling error.

However, a source close to the Ukrainian government tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that the meeting “did not take place due to the fact the German foreign minister refused to say Germany would abandon the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline even if Russia invades.” And also, because of “Germany’s refusal to provide any military assistance directly or indirectly to Kyiv.”

The source also tells Tapper, “Germany is increasingly viewed as more of a Russian ally than a western ally by many in Eastern Europe and Kyiv. And they act like it- look at former Chancellor Schroeder”.

In a live interview with Olaf Scholz in DC on Monday evening, Tapper put the question directly to Germany’s chancellor following his meeting with US President Joe Biden.  

Tapper said, “So you and the Foreign Minister won’t say explicitly that if Russia invades Ukraine, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is dead. I’ve heard you refer to this as a ‘strategic ambiguity’. And this strategic ambiguity got President Zelensky so angry today, he wouldn’t even meet with your foreign minister.”

Scholz did not outright deny it, saying instead, “I don’t know whether this is the truth”, adding Baerbock was currently in Ukraine, and that he’d sent her there to go to the frontlines and examine the situation.  

He also said Germany was working with the US, NATO and EU allies to firm up concrete steps they’d take jointly in the event of a Russian invasion. 

President Joe Biden answers a question shouted by a reporter after a news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the East Room of the White House on February 7 in Washington, DC.

As he departed his joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Biden reaffirmed his belief that Russia could pursue a diplomatic off-ramp amid ongoing military buildup on the Ukraine border.

“The answer is yes,” Biden said as he walked out of the room when asked whether he still believed Russia could de-escalate with 100,000 Russian troops at the border.

He did not respond to a follow up question on how that could be accomplished.

The Biden administration continues to pursue de-escalation through diplomatic channels.

He added, “Or Russia could choose to take the diplomatic path instead, the key thing is that the United States needs to be and is prepared for any of those contingencies in lockstep with our allies and partners.”

But as CNN reported earlier Monday, the diplomatic path is narrower than ever.

“We are in Hail Mary territory,” a US official said.

Meanwhile in Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin had sharply critical words for NATO and Ukraine in a news conference following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Moscow, but suggested that “further steps” were possible on the diplomatic front after the French leader heads to Kyiv on Tuesday.

“A number of his proposals and ideas, about which it is too early to speak, I consider quite possible in order to lay a foundation for our further steps,” Putin said. “Let’s see how the meetings for the president [Macron] will go in Kyiv. After his trip to Ukraine, we will call each other again and exchange views on this matter.”

CNN’s Nathan Hodge and Uliana Pavlova contributed reporting to this post.

President Biden said Monday that the United States is evaluating how it could help Europe with alternative energy supplies in case of a conflict with Russia, given that the European region relies on Russian gas. 

“First of all, we are looking at opportunities to make up for lost gas, LNG, from Russia,” Biden said during a joint news conference at the White House with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “We’re underway and trying to see what we can do to do that, dealing with our friends around the world as well.”

“This is not just a one way street. And so, we are looking at what we could do to help compensate for loss of, immediate loss of gas in Europe if it occurs. And that’s what we’ve been working on for some time now,” the President added.

President Biden emphatically stated Monday that Germany is “completely reliable” and that the US-German partnership is one of “complete trust” amid questions about Germany’s willingness to confront Moscow in the ongoing standoff between Russia and Ukraine.

He noted that Germany has been “one of the largest contributors financially to Ukraine.”

Biden continued, “Germany is completely reliable. Completely, totally, thoroughly reliable. I have no doubt about Germany.”

More background: As CNN has reported, among the United States’ major European allies, Germany has appeared the most reluctant to commit to lethal aid, sending thousands of helmets instead of weapons and refusing to allow another NATO ally, Estonia, to send German-made howitzers to Ukraine. Germany has not joined the United States, France, Spain and other allies in bolstering troops along NATO’s eastern flank.

Biden later added that Germany is “an incredibly reliable ally and one of the leading physical powers in NATO.”

Scholz reiterated that the US-German relationship was “strong and unbreakable.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell complained Monday that Germany should be doing more to counter Russia’s threats to invade Ukraine by spending more on its military and committing that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany, would be dead if Russia were to attack its neighbor. 

“Our friends are too powerful and too prosperous not to contribute more militarily to our alliance,” he added. 

On the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, McConnell said Germany understands the concerns from the international community to its existence, which is why Germany hasn’t cleared it to begin operating.  

“It would be a powerful demonstration of German leadership for Chancellor Scholz to declare firmly and simply that Russian escalation in Europe will result in the termination of Nord Stream 2. Not another pause, the end of the pipeline period,” McConnell said. 

McConnell spoke on the Senate floor as President Biden and Scholz were holding a news conference at the White House following a meeting between the two leaders.

President Biden said he still does not know if Vladimir Putin will authorize an invasion of Ukraine before the end of the winter, but added that the Russian president is in a “position now” to do so.

Putin has now assembled 70% of the military personnel and weapons on Ukraine’s borders he would need for a full-scale invasion of the country, according to two US officials familiar with the latest estimates.

Biden reiterated on Monday what grave consequences Russia would face should it invade Ukraine.

Speaking of Putin, Biden said, “I think he has to realize that it would be a gigantic mistake for him to move on Ukraine, the impact on Europe and the rest of the world would be devastating. And he would pay a heavy price.”

“I have been very, very straightforward and blunt with President Putin, both on the phone and in person. We will impose the most severe sanctions that have ever been imposed economic sanctions, and there’ll be a lot to pay for that down the road,” Biden added.

The President said the impact will be felt around the globe, not only on Europeans, Russians but also Americans “somewhat.”

President Joe Biden speaks during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the East Room of the White House on February 7 in Washington, DC.

President Biden encouraged Americans currently abroad in Ukraine to leave the country in anticipation of a possible Russian invasion, telling reporters during a Monday news conference, “I think it’d be wise to leave the country.”

Last month, the US State Department announced it would reduce staff levels at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, beginning with the departure of nonessential staff and family members.

State Department officials said at the time that the decision was made out of an “abundance of caution.”

President Biden vowed to stop the Nord Stream 2, an undersea pipeline set to deliver gas from Russia to Germany, if the Russians invade Ukraine.

The President, speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, was asked how the US could do that given the US does not control the project. 

“I promise you we will be able to do it,” Biden responded.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a news conference with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on February 7 in Washington, DC.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “there will be a high price for Russia” if they invade Ukraine, during a joint news conference with President Biden from the White House.

Germany’s new chancellor, who took office in December, arrived in Washington as Russian President Vladimir Putin assembled 70% of the military personnel and weapons on Ukraine’s borders he would need for a full-scale invasion of the country, according to two US officials familiar with the latest estimates.

“We’re one voice, and do things together and we made it very clear if there was military aggression against Ukraine, this will entail severe consequences that we agreed upon together,” Scholz said. “What is important is that we also intensively worked on preparing possible sanctions together. We don’t want to start once there is a military aggression against Ukraine,” he said.

President Biden said that his White House meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was “very productive” and that discussions about “deterring Russia’s threats against Ukraine” were top of the agenda.

“Germany with the United States together with our allies and partners are working closely together to pursue diplomatic resolutions to this situation and diplomacy is the very best way forward for all sides and we both agree, including [what’s] best for Russia in our view,” Biden said during a join news conference with Germany’s leader.

Biden added that both leaders discussed maintaining a close alliance and developing a “strong package of sanctions that clearly demonstrate international resolve and impose swift and severe consequences if Russia violates Ukraine’s sovereignty and it’s territorial integrity.”

“I thank Germany and all of our other partners in eastern Europe and the European Union for their work in this united effort,” Biden said.

President Biden is holding a White House news conference with Germany’s new chancellor following a meeting earlier today in the Oval Office.

Olaf Scholz took office in December, succeeding a towering figure in global politics — Angela Merkel — whose absence during the current crisis is being felt on both sides of the Atlantic.

Scholz arrived in Washington as Russian President Vladimir Putin has assembled 70% of the military personnel and weapons on Ukraine’s borders he would need for a full-scale invasion of the country, based on US intelligence estimates — though no one seems to know what his true intentions might be.

Ahead of the President’s meeting with Scholz, US officials said the two leaders would spend most of their time together discussing the Ukraine matter, including a “robust sanctions package” being prepared to punish Moscow should an invasion go ahead.

When they sat down in the Oval Office, Biden said the US and Germany were “working in lockstep” to deter Russian aggression. 

Read more about the German leader’s visit here.

The Defense Department said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has added “sizeable forces” near the Ukrainian border even “just over the course of the weekend” and are now “well north of 100,000.”

Kirby said that Russia has also been adding “logistics and sustainment capability” to be able to sustain a deployment “for longer and longer periods of time,” but that there is still “nothing specific” indicating that Putin has decided on an invasion.

“We don’t have anything specific that we can point to as an a-ha moment and say, well, that’s it, now we know that he’s definitely going in and he’s definitely going in on such and such a date,” said Kirby.

More context: New satellite imagery obtained by CNN shows that a large base which held Russian tanks, artillery and other armor near the Ukrainian border has been largely emptied, with the equipment apparently being moved much closer to the frontier in recent days.

Bipartisan talks in the Senate are continuing over the Russia sanctions package, but the two sides have yet to resolve the same thorny issues that have so far eluded them from reaching a deal, according to a person briefed on the matter.

The source said the same issues — how to impose pre-invasion sanctions before any Russian invasion into Ukraine as well as imposing sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline remain unresolved. The administration has been leery of pre-invasion sanctions on Russia, worried it would take away US leverage over Russia and would divide NATO countries, while Republicans have pushed for immediate punishments — namely over the pipeline.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on “State of the Union” on Jan. 30 that they were on the “one-yard line,” a characterization that Sen. Jim Risch, the ranking Republican, concurred with at the time.

Menendez is headed to the German embassy tonight to meet with chancellor Olaf Scholz, a source familiar with the matter said.

President Biden welcomed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House Monday and told reporters gathered in the Oval Office that both countries are “working in lockstep to further deter Russian aggression in Europe.”

Biden acknowledged that the two leaders “have a lot to talk about” in the Oval Office meeting, adding he looked forward to working with Scholz “to address the challenges posed by China and promote stability in the Western Balkans—we then have to take on the pandemic, climate change and many of those other issues.”

The President also said he looks forward to Germany’s presidency of the G7 this year.

Scholz, in brief remarks, acknowledged today’s meeting was “an important meeting at an important time,” pointing to a number of topics they planned to discuss, including “fighting against Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

Neither leader responded to shouted questions from reporters before being escorted out.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the US messaging about the Russia-Ukraine crisis, saying Monday that “this is not alarmism, this is simply the facts.”

He said Russia’s massing of troops along the Ukrainian border is “not happening in a vacuum, it’s happening in the context of what Russia already did in 2014 in invading Ukraine, seizing Crimea, creating a conflict in the Donbas that continues to this day.”

Blinken reiterated that the US does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision about whether to invade Ukraine, “but he has put in place the capacity should he so decide to act very quickly against Ukraine and in ways that would have terrible consequences for Ukraine, for Russia, but consequences also for all of us because these actions, this aggression, this threatened aggression against Ukraine would undermine the core principles that were hard established after World War II and after The Cold War that have helped to protect security, stability, peace and prosperity in Europe and beyond ever since.”

The UK wants to offer further reassurances to Moscow about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s role because it is a defensive alliance, a UK government spokesperson said Monday.  

A Downing Street press officer confirmed to CNN that the spokesman told a lobby briefing that Russia has expressed concerns about possible aggressions from NATO.   

The UK has stressed that these concerns are unfounded due to NATO’s status as a defensive alliance, the spokesperson said.  

Whilst the UK does want to provide Russia with diplomatic reassurance, it is continuing to emphasize the right of other countries to join NATO, the spokesperson added.   

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a news conference Monday that NATO is considering “longer-term military posture in eastern Europe to strengthen deterrence.”