German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that “if Russia continues on its course of the past weeks, it will not only be a catastrophe for Ukraine."
Merkel added, during her speech at the Bundestag, Germany's Parliament, that if Russia was not ready to "return to the path of justice", it had to face sanctions.
The German Chancellor underlined that the EU was also "ready and determined" to put into action a third stage of sanctions that would have significant economic consequences.
Concluding Merkel made it clear that although Ukraine's territorial integrity was not up for discussion military action was not an option.
Opposition Left Party leader Gregor Gysi criticized the German government for being hypocritical saying, "my opinion is that if the separation of the Crimea is illegal under the international law, the separation of Kosovo was illegal as well."
Green Party leader Katrin Göring-Eckhardt said it was necessary that the EU did not react with false restraint against the breaking of international law by a Security Council member but with diplomacy.
The EU is preparing to implement sanctions against Russia as the next step in its response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine having already agreed to suspend visa talks with and negotiations over a new investment agreement.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
