Kiev demands explanation from Germany after Minister suggested lifting sanctions on Russia
Ukraine has demanded an explanation following the remarks of German Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel about the gradual lifting of sanctions against Russia.
German newspaper Tagesspiegel quotes the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk as saying "We sent a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking to clarify whether this view is the position of the federal government.”
He added that in Kiev "the words of Gabriel were received with bitterness and disappointment" because they signified a deviation from the goal. "Experience shows that such sanctions are effective only if all conditions are implemented. In the case of Russia, the international community needs strategic patience, unity and firmness," Melnyk said.
The Ambassador also criticized the use of the term "civil war" by Gabriel to define the conflict in Ukraine. "This expression was seen by many Ukrainians as offensive and unfair," he asserted.
During the forum "The Day of the entrepreneur of Russia in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" in Rostock on May 25th, Sigmar Gabriel proposed a gradual lifting of economic sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation.