On 24 and 25 November 2014, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij held meetings in Berlin, Germany, with high-ranking German officials concerning the current situation in Ukraine.
During the meetings, the UWC President asserted that the Russian Federation is responsible for an international crisis with Ukraine at its epicenter. He also called upon Germany to:
- effectively defend the long-standing principles of world order, including Ukraine’s right to self‑determination and territorial inviolability;
- distance itself from the dangerous call of Matthias Platzeck, Head of the German-Russian Forum, to recognize the annexation of Crimea as a means to end the conflict in Eastern Ukraine and appease President Vladimir Putin;
- maintain sanctions against the Russian Federation until it complies with its international obligations toward Ukraine;
- increase sectoral sanctions for non-compliance by the Russian Federation with the Minsk agreements; and
- support the strengthening of the OSCE mission to monitor the border of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
The high-ranking German officials assured the UWC President that they are committed to supporting Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
“In this critical time, I hope that Germany will play a key role in ensuring that the international community offers concrete support for Ukraine,” said UWC President Eugene Czolij.
