Kyiv, Jan 17 (AFP\/APP):Germany will do everything in its power to guarantee Ukraine’s security, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Monday on her first visit to Ukraine, amid rising fears of a Russian invasion.<\/p>\n
“We will do our all to guarantee Ukraine’s security. We will do our all to guarantee Europe’s security,” she said at a press conference following talks with her Ukrainian counterpart, a day before she is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.<\/p>\n
The West has accused Russia of deploying tanks, artillery and about 100,000 soldiers on Ukraine’s war-torn eastern border in recent weeks, in what NATO says is preparation for an invasion.<\/p>\n
Moscow says this is a response to what it sees as the growing presence of NATO in its sphere of influence, where it fiercely opposes the expansion of the Atlantic alliance.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a visit to Madrid, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said “we expect clear steps from Russia to de-escalate the situation”.<\/p>\n
“Military aggression against Ukraine would have serious political as well as economic consequences” for Russia, he added at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.<\/p>\n
Baerbock’s visit to Kyiv comes amid attempts to revive the so-called Normandy Format grouping of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine whose aim is to de-escalate the conflict.<\/p>\n
Her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, told reporters following discussions that Ukraine and Germany were “committed to a diplomatic settlement of this conflict”.<\/p>\n
“Our joint goal is the effective work of the Normandy Format and the holding of a summit of leaders of the Normandy Format,” Kuleba said.<\/p>\n
He reiterated however Ukraine’s intention to receive weapons from the West, after Kyiv in December accused Berlin of blocking the supply of NATO arms.<\/p>\n
“Our dialogue with Germany on this issue will continue,” Kuleba said.
\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to hold his first meeting with Baerbock Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said in a statement ahead of the meeting that there would be “an in-depth exchange on current international issues, above all on the realisation of Russian proposals on security guarantees”.<\/p>\n
Lavrov said during a press conference Monday that Russia was awaiting “concrete answers” to a series of sweeping security demands in Europe.<\/p>\n
He added that “Russia’s leadership is capable of protecting its interests both in terms of security and in terms of ensuring the rights of Russian citizens”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kyiv, Jan 17 (AFP\/APP):Germany will do everything in its power to guarantee Ukraine’s security, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Monday on her first visit to Ukraine, amid rising fears of a Russian invasion. “We will do our all to guarantee Ukraine’s security. We will do […]<\/p>\n
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