German Chancellor urges Russian president to use influence over Ukraine rebels
Angela Merkel has told Vladimir Putin the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine "must be strictly respected," insisting Russia has a responsibility to influence separatists there
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, during a telephone call with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, stressed Moscow’s “responsibility” to act as a moderating influence over the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
The ceasefire in place in eastern Ukraine “must be strictly respected”, a statement by a German government spokesman cited Merkel as saying, adding that the two leaders shared the same concerns over the persistent violence in Ukraine.
She “insisted on Russia’s responsibility to exercise a moderating influence on the pro-Russian separatists”.
The Ukraine-Russia border should be properly monitored, the statement continued, stressing the importance of the role played by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), charged with overseeing the ceasefire signed a month ago.
Berlin will continue to support the new OSCE mission in eastern Ukraine. Germany and France recently proposed providing the mission with pilotless drones to give an aerial view to improve monitoring of the ceasefire.
Clashes have raged for days at several flashpoints around the region, with the Ukraine authorities and the pro-Moscow rebels blaming each other for violating the agreement that commits them to withdrawing weapons and establishing a buffer zone.