On Thursday, April 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the Donbas issue during their telephone call. German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded in a phone call with President Vladimir Putin that Russia unwind its recent military build-up in the area around eastern Ukraine, Reuters reports.
“The Chancellor demanded that this build-up be unwound in order to de-escalate the situation,” Germany’s government said in a readout of a telephone call between Merkel and Putin.
In turn, Putin said Russian forces pose no threat and are defensive, but they would stay there as long as Moscow saw fit.
Earlier, Ukraine has raised the alarm over an increase in Russian forces near its eastern border as violence has risen along the line of contact separating its troops from Russian-backed separatists in its Donbas region. The Kremlin dismissed a Ukrainian accusation that the build-up was intended to distract from domestic issues, including jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, ahead of September parliamentary elections.
According to the Kremlin website, Russia is also concerned about the escalation in Donbas.
“Vladimir Putin drew attention to the provocative actions of Kyiv which is now deliberately aggravating the situation along the line of contact. The parties noted the need for the Kyiv authorities to implement earlier agreements without fail, in particular those aimed at the launch of direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk and at legally formalizing the special status of Donbas,” the Kremlin’s statement read.
Vladimir Putin has also reaffirmed his commitment to further close coordination of Russian and German efforts, including within the Normandy Format, between political advisers and foreign ministers.