BERLIN / KIEV
Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle indirectly criticized Russia on Thursday for putting pressure on Ukraine and blocking a key cooperation agreement with the EU.
“Making threats behind the scenes, exerting economic pressure as we have witnessed this year are simply unacceptable,” Westerwelle said during his address at the ministerial meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Kiev.
“The people in Ukraine want to decide for themselves for their future,” Westerwelle stressed. “Within the OSCE we guarantee them the right to express freely their opinion.”
German foreign minister has expressed support for the pro-European demonstrators in Ukraine and called on the Ukrainian government to protect peaceful demonstrators from any kind of intimidation and violence.
“The response of Ukraine to the pro-European demonstrations will also be an indication of sincerity of the Ukrainian presidency concerning our shared values enshrined in the OSCE,” Westerwelle said.
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