Germany, France and Poland want to defuse the conflict with Moscow by offering talks to Russia and repeated appeals for de-escalation on the Ukrainian border.

After a top-level meeting in the Berlin Chancellery on Tuesday evening, the three states declared their willingness to "participate constructively in substantial and result-oriented talks on security issues of mutual interest".

At the same time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the two Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Andrej Duda made it clear that "any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have massive consequences and will have a high price".

Scholz called the Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine "very worrying".

Similar to Macron, he emphasized: "Our common goal is to prevent a war in Europe." Nevertheless, Russia must be aware that an invasion of the former Soviet republic would have "political, economic and certainly geostrategic consequences".

Duda spoke of the "most difficult situation in which NATO and the EU have found themselves since 1989", the year the wall fell.

Referring to the Russian troop deployment, he said: "We are all wondering what will happen afterwards.

What effect will this movement of troops have that the world and Europe have not seen since World War II?”

Joint statement

In their joint statement, the three representatives of the so-called Weimar Triangle called on Russia to "enter into a substantive dialogue on security on the European continent."

While the concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border is of "great concern", Ukraine is showing "continued restraint" and is pursuing a diplomatic approach.

In an effort to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, they will continue to advocate "security and stability in the region and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine".

Scholz had consulted with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Monday, Macron had traveled to Berlin after mediation talks in Moscow and Kiev.

The meeting with Duda was now used for coordination within the European Union.

After their deliberations, the three heads of state and government also emphasized the importance of NATO.

The military alliance must "continuously review its defense and deterrence strategy" and, if necessary, "adapt it to a further deterioration in the security situation".

While Russia wants to prevent an expansion of NATO and the admission of Ukraine, there are great concerns in the West about an invasion of the militarily superior neighbor in view of the deployment of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers in the border area with Ukraine.

The Kremlin denies any such plans and recently announced that a de-escalation was "very necessary" given the tensions.

It is also considered possible that the Russian side wants to stir up fears with their actions in order to persuade NATO to make concessions on demands for security guarantees.

The German government, in turn, has been accused by Poland's government and other critics of not putting enough pressure on Moscow.

Above all, the cancellation of arms deliveries to Ukraine is not well received in neighboring Germany, which also borders Russia.

The same applies to the adherence to the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, which is to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany in the future, bypassing the Ukraine.

Scholz insists that all sanction options are on the table in the event of an invasion.

However, he does not name Nord Stream 2.

He also refrained from doing so on his inaugural visit to Washington, while American President Joe Biden made it clear in pithy words that a Russian invasion would mean the end of Nord Stream 2.

Scholz only promised: "We will act in full agreement on the sanctions."

For Thursday, Macron announced another talk with representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the advisory level, which is to take place in Berlin.

France and Germany have been mediating in the conflict for years as part of the so-called Normandy format.

The last top-level summit with Russia and Ukraine was in Paris in 2019.

Borrell sees signs of relaxation

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell sees signs of a possible de-escalation of the Ukraine conflict.

The visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Moscow was a "good initiative," said Borrell on Tuesday at the end of his visit to Washington.

"I think that's an element of relaxation."

Macron's meeting with Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin on Monday "didn't work miracles," said Borrell.

But as long as people are willing "to sit down at the table and talk, I think there's hope that there won't be a military confrontation."