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Developments in eastern Ukraine

German Bundestag members collect 130,000 euros for Donbas region

"When we first visited Donbas, we saw the sad state of local hospitals," he said. "We decided to begin a campaign to raise funds to help them with medicines," Left Party's member Andrew Junco said

© EPA/GREGOR FISCHER

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Western donors in no hurry to help residents of Ukraine's east — Russian diplomat

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Members of the German Bundestag from the Left Party Andrew Junco and Wolfgang Gerke collected about 130,00 euros for purchasing medications for the hospitals of the war-torn Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Junco said as much during a TASS news conference.

"When we first visited Donbas, we saw the sad state of local hospitals," he said. "We decided to begin a campaign to raise funds to help them with medicines."

According to the parliamentarian, the amount of the money raised has far exceeded expectations. "We hoped for 5,000-10,000 euros, but eventually collected about 130,000," he noted. "The bulk of the money raised was donated by ordinary people who believed our estimates of what is happening in southeastern Ukraine."

Junco added that humanitarian aid worth 30,000 euros had already been sent to the Donbas hospitals, the remaining funds will be used for the same purpose. "We sent the first aid convoy in February, but because of the situation in south-eastern Ukraine the aid had to be delivered through Rostov. We also had a brief meeting with [head of Donetsk People’s Republic Alexander] Zakharchenko. Because of this, a campaign of criticism was launched against us in Germany. But we didn’t make any political statements, we believe now it’s important to deliver humanitarian aid," the Bundestag member said.

Junco also noted that he hadcontacted the authorities in Kiev to enquire about the possibility of delivering humanitarian aid to Donbas through the territory of Ukraine. "I have received no reply yet, and if I don’t, the next batch will be also sent to Donbas through Russia’s territory in July," he added.

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Eastern Ukraine

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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