Sochi, Russia. In the first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in two years, Angela Merkel had much to say about the conflict in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, mainly that the breakaway separatists need to look at a reunion with Kiev in their future, at least according to her thinking.
During the press conference at the conclusion of the meeting, the politicians spoke about matters pertaining to bilateral relations, the fight against terrorism, as well as the situation in Syria and in Eastern Ukraine.
Angela Merkel said that there is no need to make a new agreement regarding a peaceful resolution in Ukraine as she thinks Minsk which requires Donbass reunify with Kiev, is in harmony with her plans for Donbass.
“I do not consider the making of a new agreement advisable,” Merkel said at the press conference concluding the meeting with Putin. The German chancellor is unhappy with the growing trends of the secession of the Eastern regions of Ukraine.
“The expropriation of enterprises, the transport blockade and other matters must be studied very thoroughly, and everything possible must be done to turn this back,” she added. “We want assurance that Ukraine will be given access to its state border, this is also part of the Minsk agreements and then to ensure a political ruling aimed at holding local elections,” Merkel said.
“We have not yet achieved this, but still does not mean that we can forget the existing agreement and should move on to making a new one,” the German chancellor added. This comes despite open statements by Kiev officials that they themselves considered Minsk a ruse to buy time and better prepare for a genocide of Russian ethnic elements in Donbass.
Merkel stressed that the problem does not lie in concluding a new agreement regarding Ukraine, but in implementing the previous one.“My earnest request to the Russian president is for him to do everything he can to ensure its implementation,” the German leader stated.
Merkel said that she would like to lift the anti-Russian sanctions after the implementation of the Minsk agreements, pointing out the existence of contact between Russia and Germany in economics and a number of other areas.
The laundry list of Frau Merkel’s wishes also included Russia reversing it’s actions on NGOs and Religious groups, protections for Chechen Homosexuals and then German would consider removing sanctions from Russia, after Minsk was implemented to her satisfaction.