Germany backs Baltics amid Ukraine crisis

  • 2014-06-17
  • From wire reports, TALLINN

German FM Steinmeier met with with Baltic FM’s in Tallinn on June 17 (pic source: Estonia MFA)

Germany has expressed its solidarity with the Baltic states amid the Ukraine crisis.

Speaking at a meeting of German and Baltic foreign ministers in Tallinn on June 17, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: 

"We in Germany understand that the Baltic countries feel threatened because of the crisis in Ukraine. I'll say it again, that your fears are our fears. The European Union and NATO do not express their solidarity not only in words but also in deeds."

Steinmeier added that the Ukrainian crisis represents the most serious political crisis of recent decades in Europe, Delfi reports.

"Who would have imagined that 70 years after the end of World War II, we must focus again on border issues. Who would have thought that there is a new threat of division of Europe. The last weekend also showed that despite the huge efforts we are still far from the solution to the crisis in Ukraine," he said.

Steinmeier said the unified stance of the EU in the issue of the Ukrainian conflict was very important, because it makes Russia change its behavior. 

Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet said the ministers supported the peace plan for Ukraine. He said: “We support the peace plan proposed by the President of Ukraine and hope that with the support of the international community, they can emerge from the crisis peacefully." 

Paet said that Estonia supports the European Union and Ukraine signing the Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement in late June. “It is also important to implement the agreement,” Paet said, noting that the results of the democratic presidential elections in Ukraine showed an orientation towards Europe," Mr Paet added.

At the meeting, the foreign ministers emphasized the need for the continuation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Ukraine