Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged on Monday that enacting further sanctions against Russia could hit the German economy, but said doing nothing in response to Moscow's aggression in Ukraine was "not an option."
"I have said that (sanctions) can have an impact, also for German companies," Merkel told a news conference in Berlin.
"But I have to say there is also an impact when you are allowed to move borders in Europe and attack other countries with your troops," she added. "Accepting Russia's behavior is not an option. And therefore it was necessary to prepare further sanctions."
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