Hopes are rising that efforts to stop Russia from invading Ukraine may be starting to pay off, as the diplomatic push picks up Thursday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to meet Baltic leaders in Berlin and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson heading to NATO and Poland.
In the face of the worst stand-off between Russia and the West since the Cold War, diplomatic action has kicked into high gear with European leaders zipping across the continent seeking to defuse the crisis.
Ahead of his huddle with Baltic leaders, Scholz said he saw "progress" on the diplomatic front.
"The task is that we ensure the security in Europe, and I believe that that will be achieved," he said at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday.
The new German chancellor, who has been under fire over accusations that he has dithered over the crisis, will travel to Kyiv and Moscow next week for separate meetings with Ukraine and Russia’s leaders, including his first face-to-face with President Vladimir Putin.
Striking a less optimistic note, Britain said Wednesday it was ready to deploy 1,000 more troops to deal with any humanitarian crisis linked to Ukraine.
