Germany's Scholz: Poland missile blast must be fully investigated

Scholz urged a diplomatic solution to the conflict and said in an interview with broadcaster ntv that Russia could only find a way out of the situation by taking immediate, decisive steps such as withdrawing troops and being open to peace talks that do not lead to a dictated peace.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday a missile blast in eastern Poland near the Ukrainian border, in which two people were killed, should be fully investigated before conclusions are drawn.

In his closing statement following the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali, Scholz said it was a positive sign that the United States had offered to assist Poland with the probe. Scholz joins other NATO partners in calling for a thorough investigation. Ukraine has blamed the blast on Russia, while U.S. President Joe Biden said the missile was probably not fired from Russia.

Scholz also welcomed the clear language found at the summit to condemn the war in Ukraine, adding: "The Russian president is almost alone in the world with his policy." Wrangling over the Ukraine war dominated the world leaders two-day meeting on the Indonesian island, as Western countries pushed for a condemnation while Russia decried the summit's "politicization".

The final declaration said

"most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine", while acknowledging "other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions". Scholz urged a diplomatic solution to the conflict and said in an interview with broadcaster ntv that Russia could only find a way out of the situation by taking immediate, decisive steps such as withdrawing troops and being open to peace talks that do not lead to a dictated peace.