Russia would pay ‘high price’ for attack on Ukraine, says German minister

Annalena Baerbock says Germany will not compromise on basic principles' ahead of meeting with Russian foreign minister

The new German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, sought to reassure a nervous Ukraine that she will not allow Germany to compromise on the basic principles of Ukraine's territorial sovereignty when she meets the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow for the first time on Tuesday.

Baerbock, a member of the Green party, said on a visit to Kyiv she was ready for serious dialogue with Russia about mutual security, but was not willing to backtrack on basic principles such as territorial inviolability, the free choice of alliances and the renunciation of the threat of violence".