Baerbock to Putin: "Don’t play people's lives"
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbok has accused the Russian leadership of irresponsibly playing with the lives of people living in the occupied territories and called on Moscow to return to the negotiating table.
The top diplomat stated this ahead of the foreign ministerial of the EU Council in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"This game the Russian government is playing with the civilian population, with people in the occupied territories on both sides (of the demarcation line - ed.), is irresponsible," Baerbock said.
According to Baerbock, the recent ceasefire violations are a matter of concern.
The German top diplomat stressed that the allies are watching the situation very closely and see all the provocations and disinformation coming in.
"It is in Russia's hands to end this crisis," she said.
She appealed to the Russian leadership: "Don’t play human lives… Return to the negotiating table."
The minister also welcomed the initiative to hold a summit of U.S. and Russian leaders, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, Baerbock made it clear that there are "red lines" in negotiations with Russia. "The basis of our coexistence, international law, our European treaties - they are not negotiable," she said.
As reported, an EU Council’s foreign ministerial is taking place in Brussels, with one of the main issues on the agenda being the security crisis caused by Russia's military build-up along Ukraine's borders. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, was also invited.
Photo: Christoph Soeder / dpa
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