After a meeting with her American counterpart Antony Blinken, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) called on Moscow to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict.
Also on behalf of Blinken, she said on Thursday in Berlin: "We urgently call on Russia to take steps to de-escalate." Any kind of further aggression will have "serious consequences".
Baerbock said there was consensus that the only way out of the crisis was "a political way" and that it was only through dialogue.
"Unfortunately, Russian behavior continues to speak a different language," she added.
Blinken highlighted the unity between Germany, America and its allies.
No matter which path Russia takes, they will stand together.
On Wednesday, Blinken warned of an impending military strike by Russia against Ukraine at the start of his European trip in Kiev.
Referring to the Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine, he said: "We know that there are plans to increase these forces even further in the very short term.
This gives President Putin the ability to take further aggressive action against Ukraine, also at very short notice.”
On the issue of arms deliveries to Ukraine, which the federal government opposes, Baerbock said on Thursday that the best way to back Kiev is to make it clear "that any further aggressiveness would have a high price." On Wednesday, politicians from the traffic light coalition questioned the negative attitude of the federal government.
In view of the Russian troop deployment, the future Secretary General of the FDP, Bijan Djir-Sarai, made it clear in an interview with the FAZ that all possibilities had to be considered. It is an "existential" question. "I'm not advocating arms deliveries, I'm just saying that all options must remain on the table."
The federal government, on the other hand, once again rejected Kiev's wishes.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the position was "that no lethal weapons are supplied".
From the ranks of the Greens, the foreign politician and candidate for party chairmanship Omid Nouripour reiterated his party's negative stance on arms deliveries.
"Lethal weapons are out of the question," he said.
That still applies.
The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, had previously specified the requests for arms deliveries to the federal government.
Kiev would like warships for coastal defense and air defense systems.