Germany's Defense Minister Advocates Personal Sanctions Against Russian Leadership Over Ukraine Situation

Germany's Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has called for the implementation of personal sanctions against the highest leadership of Russia in the event of escalating conflict in Ukraine. This statement was made in an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper, published on Sunday ahead of her visit to Lithuania, according to TASS.

"At this time, we need to aim sanctions at (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his circle," the minister stated, expressing her belief that those responsible for aggression should feel the consequences of escalating conflict.

"We need to use all the means at our disposal," Lambrecht added, responding to a question about the potential suspension of the Nord Stream 2 project. "I am watching with great concern what is happening there (at the borders of Russia and Ukraine). I understand the fears of the Ukrainians very well," said Lambrecht.

"Therefore, I am making my first visit to Lithuania on Sunday, where I will visit NATO rapid response forces and understand how the soldiers perceive the situation," she explained.

However, Lambrecht was cautious in responding to questions about sending NATO troops to the former Soviet republic. "We must exhaust all options of diplomacy and economic sanctions," stated the new German defense minister, noting that "any further steps must be closely coordinated within the NATO alliance."

The Social Democratic Party of Germany has so far hesitated to make such strong statements towards Moscow. Recently, there have been an increasing number of statements in the West and Ukraine about Russia's potential "incursions" into Ukrainian territory. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred to such information as empty and unfounded escalation of tension, emphasizing that Russia poses no threat to anyone. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such statements and warned that attempts to resolve issues through force in southeastern Ukraine would have the most serious consequences.