BERLIN
Germany has said it is unaware of whether NATO countries have been sending arms to Ukraine.
The comments by German government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday came a day after Ukrainian Defense Minister Valery Heletey claimed NATO states had begun delivering arms to Ukraine to support its fight against pro-Russian separatists.
Seibert said during the regular press conference at the Federal Press Centre: “I have no information whether or not some NATO countries are supplying arms to Ukraine."
“Currently, this is a very hypothetical question for us. For us, it is not a subject matter."
Heletey said he had held bilateral discussions with some NATO defense ministers during the organization's summit in Wales on 4-5 September.
He went on: “For months and weeks we have underlined that there can be no military solution in Ukraine ... all should seek a political and diplomatic solution."
"That is the way we are trying to proceed, using all our power. That is the way the Chancellor and the Foreign Minister have been trying to support."
'Violation of law'
Seibert also criticized the parliamentary and local elections held in Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula on Sunday.
“I would like to underline the German position again. The annexation of Crimea by Russia is a violation of international law. The so-called parliament and local elections are not recognized by Germany," he said.
Russia annexed Crimea in March after a controversial referendum in the strategic peninsula, declaring unilateral independence and integration with Russia.
Unrest in Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking east has torn the region apart since April, when the Ukrainian army launched military operations in the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk to restore government control, after pro-Russian separatists declared independence in the region.
Kiev government and pro-Russian rebels agreed to a cease-fire in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on September 5, bringing a halt to a five-month conflict which has left more than 2,500 people killed, according to estimates by the United Nations.
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