German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. File photoBERLIN, Feb. 25 German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as part of his address to the nation on the situation in Ukraine, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop «the madness of this war.» «I call on President Putin: stop this madness war now!» Steinmeier stated.The German finance minister called for sanctions against Putin and Lavrov, he said, «we all have a heavy heart these days» because of what is happening in Ukraine. «It's terrible what people have to endure there — death, wounds, destruction, forced flight. A thousandfold pain right at our borders, at our neighbor's neighbor,» the German president said. At the same time, he noted the importance of good relations with the Russian Federation. “I tell you all: we do not want hostility with the Russian people, on the contrary. But this injustice cannot remain without a clear answer. Therefore, the federal government is working resolutely and together with our partners in the North Atlantic Alliance, in the European Union,” Steinmeier said. Putin «should not underestimate the power of democracy.» The Russian president must not think for a second that people in Germany and Europe will simply put up with this cruelty. Let's show each other and our partners what is important to us: we want peace, freedom, rights and self-determination for the peoples of Europe,» the president concluded. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: he does not believe that Western politicians hoped that Russia will forever endure the oppression of Russians in Ukraine. The Russian Federation is ready for negotiations at any moment, as soon as the Ukrainian military lays down their arms, and is interested in seeing Ukraine cease to be under external control, the minister added. Russia launched a military operation to demilitarize Ukraine early in the morning on February 24. In a televised address to the Russians, President Vladimir Putin said that circumstances «require decisive and immediate action from us, the people's republics of Donbass have asked for help.» According to him, all responsibility for the bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine. He urged the Ukrainian military not to carry out the criminal orders of the Ukrainian authorities, to lay down their arms and go home. The Russian Defense Ministry stressed that the Russian Armed Forces do not inflict any strikes on the cities of Ukraine: military infrastructure is disabled by high-precision means. The civilian population, according to the agency, is not in danger, the Ukrainian border guards «do not offer any resistance», in some cases the Ukrainian military surrender and after that they can return to their families.Situation development — in the online report >> strong>
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