Germany and the European Union are in a position to decide on further sanctions against Russia in the event of a complete Russian invasion of Ukraine, which cannot be ruled out, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday.
Scholz said Russia's recognition of the two breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine was not compatible with international law and endangered the sovereignty of Ukraine.
"We cannot accept this," Scholz was quoted as saying by broadcaster RTL, adding that respecting borders was important for peace in Europe.
"If everyone in Europe starts leafing through history books where borders used to be, then we have a very unsettling time ahead of us," Scholz added.
Germany on Tuesday halted a new gas pipeline from Russia, the EU's largest gas supplier.
Asked about energy security and the future of gas supply, Sholz said Germany and the EU must do everything they can to ensure that gas can be obtained in different ways.
"It is important that we as the EU, but also as the Federal Republic of Germany, do everything we can to increase our energy security," he said.
(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Barbara Lewis)
