Ukraine crisis: Angela Merkel accuses Putin of ‘stealing’ CrimeaУкраїнська криза: Ангела Меркель звинувачує Путіна в «крадіжці» КримуУкраинский кризис: Ангела Меркель обвиняет Путина в «краже’ Крыма

Ukraine crisis: Angela Merkel accuses Putin of ‘stealing’ Crimea
The German Chancellor launches emotional attack on Russia and says its actions in Crimea are against ‘European values’

Mrs Merkel told MPs to be prepared for the negative consequences of possible sanctions against Russia but insisted that it was essential not to break off the “threads of communication” with the Kremlin
Angela Merkel told MPs to be prepared for the negative consequences of possible sanctions against Russia but insisted that it was essential not to break off the “threads of communication” with the Kremlin Photo: Getty Images
By Tony Paterson, Berlin and Peter Foster in Washington12:34PM GMT 12 Mar 2014
German Chancellor Angela Merkel accused Russia of “annexing” Crimea and warned that the Kremlin must not be allowed to “get away with it” during an unusually emotional address to Germany’s ruling conservative Christian Democratic Party MPs late on Tuesday.
Der Spiegel magazine said that in a speech to members of her parliamentary party Mrs Merkel had been very critical of Russia and described Moscow’s actions in Ukraine as a breach of the principles of the post-war order in Europe.
“What has happened in Crimea is an annexation which Russia must not be allowed to get away with,” Mrs Merkel said. Other unconfirmed reports said the German Chancellor had accused Russia of “ stealing” Crimea.
Her remarks came before the G7 nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – issued a joint statement warning Moscow to stop its attempts to change the status of the Crimea and warning of sanctions if it did not back down.
“The annexation of Crimea could have grave implications for the legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states. Should the Russian Federation take such a step, we will take further action, individually and collectively,” the statement said.
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The G7 statement came on a day of intense diplomatic choreography as the Ukrainian prime minister and foreign minister visited Washington for meetings with President Obama, John Kerry, the US secretary of state and leaders in Congress who will need to back any sanctions with legislation.
Western diplomatic sources in Washington said there is now a growing consensus for targeted sanctions against key personnel surrounding Vladimir Putin, reminiscent of the actions taken against the regime of Col. Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator, if Moscow annexed Crimea.
Damon Wilson, executive vice president at the Atlantic Council who worked on White House policy toward Ukraine during the Orange Revolution of 2004, said that the Obama administration was launching an unprecedented diplomatic offensive on the issue.
“There’s been a toughening of spines. I don’t think I’ve seen Obama on the phone with as many leaders in as compact an amount of time. It’s not just a slew of NATO allies, he spoke yesterday with the presidents of Kazakhstan and China.
“In a matter of maybe ten or fifteen days he’s hosted the prime minister of Georgia, the prime minister of Moldova, and now the prime minister of Ukraine. This is one of the most concerted efforts that I’ve seen from the administration on a foreign policy matter,” he said.
Mrs Merkel told MPs to be prepared for the negative consequences of possible sanctions against Russia but insisted that it was essential not to break off the “threads of communication” with the Kremlin. “It is important that all European Union countries from Lisbon to Riga stick together,” she said.
The Chancellor said that a «certain amount of toughness” was needed in Europe’s dealings with Russia in order to defend what she described as “ European values”.
However she gave no indication of what kind of additional sanctions Germany might impose on the Kremlin after a Crimea’s pro-Russian parliament stages a referendum on the territory’s future on Sunday. MPs said Mrs Merkel’s address was “unusually emotional”.
On Tuesday, German officials travelled to London to discuss the question of sanctions on Russia with their counterparts from nine other countries, including Britain, America, Switzerland and Japan. They are believed to be preparing a list of powerful Russians with links to the Kremlin for travel bans and asset freezes.
David Cameron said on Wednesday that these restrictions should also be imposed on any members of the Russian parliament who supported the seizure of Crimea. EU leaders are likely to decide to impose the sanctions early next week, as soon as the referendum in Crimea is complete. The outcome of this contest is viewed as a pre-ordained vote for union with Russia.
Her strong criticism of Russia came amid reports that President Barack Obama had all but handed the lead negotiating role in resolving the Crimea crisis to Mrs Merkel. “Obama knows that everything now depends on the determination of the German Chancellor,” Der Spiegel wrote, citing US government sources.
The magazine said that Washington was beginning to realise that only Europe and in particular Germany, with its close economic ties to Russia, had sufficient leverage to create “economic havoc” for President Valdimir Putin.
Germany imports more than a third of its entire oil and gas supply from Russia. In return Germany supplies Russia with an almost equal volume of vehicles, machinery and chemical goods. In all, bilateral trade between them exceeded £63 billion last year. Some 6,000 firms in Russia have German parent companies.
Germany supports the EU’s current programme of limited sanctions against Russia. But Mrs Merkel and her foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier have repeatedly stressed the need for continuing dialogue with the Kremlin, a policy fully embraced by successive West German governments during the Cold War.
Взято из: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10692259/Ukraine-crisis-Angela-Merkel-accuses-Putin-of-stealing-Crimea.html

Автор

Олег Базалук

Oleg Bazaluk (February 5, 1968, Lozova, Kharkiv Region, Ukraine) is a Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor, philosopher, political analyst and write. His research interests include interdisciplinary studies in the fields of neurobiology, cognitive psychology, neurophilosophy, and cosmology.