Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured Germany’s NATO partners in the Baltic region of support during a meeting in Berlin on Thursday with the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops close to Ukraine’s borders, triggering fears that Moscow may be planning to invade. While the Kremlin has denied any such intention, Western leaders have been holding talks to try to avert conflict. “We are united and determined,” Scholz said, noting that the region was directly affected by Russian military activity. “The need at the moment is for de-escalation,” Scholz said…