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Putin's proposals on peacekeepers not grounds for easing sanctions, says Merkel

Germany's Federal Chanceller thinks it does not create the grounds for easing the sanctions against Russia

© EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

BERLIN, September 16. /TASS/. Germany's Federal Chanceller Angela Merkel finds Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposals on deploying UN peacekeepers in Donbass to be interesting, yet she thinks it does not create the grounds for easing the sanctions against Russia.

She said it in an interview that the Funke media group published on Saturday.

"Substantial progress [in establishing ceasefire] should be made but unfortunately we don't see it so far," she said. "I think the Russian President's proposal to engage the UN forces for protection of the OSCE monitors is an interesting one," she said. "I spoke to President Putin a few days ago and said the UN forces should have access in all the places where the OSCE monitors are located."

"We should work in that direction but these are the buds that don't give the grounds for easing the sanctions," Merkel said.

Simultaneously, she voiced disagreement wih Christian Lindner, the leader of the Free Democratic Party, who propoed to shelve the discussions around Crimea and to build relations with Russia irrespectively of the 'Crimean issue'.

"I have a different stance on Crimea," Merkel said. She claimed Crimea's reunification with Russia contravened international law and claimed there was no putting up with it.

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