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03/29/2024 09:04:44 am

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Merkel: No Hopes For Breakthrough In Russia-Ukraine Talks

Angela Merkel

(Photo : Reuters / Fabrizio Bensch) German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a session of the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, June 30, 2011.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said she saw little hope that the Russia-Ukraine talks scheduled next week would result in a solution to the political crisis in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko are set to attend talks next week to come up with a solution to the Ukraine crisis. However, Merkel said the talks will most likely not achieve a breakthrough, Firstpost reported.

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The day before her landmark trip to Kiev, Merkel emphasized that the crisis in eastern Ukraine required a political intervention. She said military moves would not help solve the problem.

Putin and Poroshenko are scheduled to meet at Minks, Belarus on Tuesday. Senior members of Russia's Customs Union and the European Union will also participate in the discussion.

In an interview aired by ARD television, Merkel described her visit to Kiev as a "preparation" for the Russia-Ukraine meeting. She explained that the situation between the two countries was very sensitive.

Although Merkel conveyed her lack of hope for a breakthrough in the talks, she advised Putin and Poroshenko to talk to each other if they wanted to resolve the crisis. Germany encouraged Moscow to keep its doors open for communication in spite of the economic sanctions levied on Russia, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Along with her efforts to play a role in ending the political war between Russia and Ukraine, Merkel vowed to do everything to reconcile the differences between the two parties. These issues would include decentralization of power, trading and gas deliveries, she added.

Based on her experience of helping Germany achieve peaceful relations with its neighbors, Merkel said the Ukrainian citizens must be given the chance to decide on their future.

The German Chancellor conveyed her desire to avoid hurting Russia and said she wanted to establish good diplomatic and trading ties with Moscow.

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