Support The Moscow Times!

Germany Urges Russia and Ukraine to Work Together on Border Control

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (back) and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier gather before a meeting with their Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski and other members of delegations in St. Petersburg, Russia.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on both Russia and Ukraine to better control their common border ahead of a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

"[It is about ensuring] there is common border management in some form," said Steinmeier shortly before the meeting, which will also include Poland's foreign minister.

Steinmeier added that the situation in eastern Ukraine must be stabilized and that it was important to ensure a substantial exchange develops between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's new president, Petro Poroshenko.

The two met briefly in France last week at a World War II anniversary event.

On Monday, Ukraine said it had reached a "mutual understanding" with Moscow on parts of a plan proposed by Poroshenko for ending violence in the east of the country.

The Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski emphasized his worries about the situation in eastern Ukraine.

"We will explain to our Russian colleague the concern that we feel in the European Union at the destabilization of eastern Ukraine," said Sikorski before the talks.

Scores of people have been killed since April in eastern Ukraine, including separatists and government forces. But fighting has ebbed in the past few days despite renewed shelling of rebels in the city of Slovyansk.

See also:

Russian Politicians Divided Over Number of Ukrainian Refugees

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more