Germany supports Ukraine’s initiative to intensify the Minsk negotiation process for the settlement of the conflict in Donbas and expects the next talks in the Normandy format, Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said.
The minister said so during a meeting with Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak and his deputy Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, and Defense Minister of Ukraine Andriy Taran in Berlin on June 2.
“The German defense minister noted that Ukraine is a friend of Germany. Berlin supports our country on the path to peace and does not recognize the occupation of Ukrainian territories – Donbas and Crimea, as it is a flagrant violation of international law. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer stressed that the normalization of relations with Russia is possible only after the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine said.
Yermak said that in order to accelerate progress towards peace, it is necessary, first of all, to ensure the implementation of the agreements reached by the leaders of the Normandy format countries at the December summit in Paris, in particular to ensure full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire.
“The ceasefire is the basic condition for further disengagement of forces and mine clearance,” he said.
He also noted that observers from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission should have full freedom of movement, which has recently been blocked by illegal armed groups.
In addition, the parties discussed opportunities for deepening cooperation between Ukraine and NATO, as well as issues of bilateral cooperation.
The German minister noted that Germany is ready to continue assisting in the implementation of reforms in Ukraine.
She also accepted the invitation of her Ukrainian counterpart to visit Ukraine.
