BERLIN, October 28. /TASS/. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that Germany and Russia are currently opposing sides and that the current events in Ukraine are "an epochal break." He made such a statement in a message to the citizens of the country in Berlin on Friday.
"The world has changed after an epochal break - which means it's time for us to say goodbye to old patterns of thought and hopes," said Steinmeier. "This applies, in particular, to our view of Russia," he added.
"When we look at the Russia of today, there is no room for old dreams," Steinmeier said. "Our countries are standing against each other today."
At the same time, Steinmeier pointed out that many in Germany felt a connection with Russia and its people and love for Russian music and literature.
"Eastern Germany also has very different, very conflicting memories of the forty years of history that still have an impact. In the East and in the West, people are grateful for the miracle of unification, and they do not forget that it remained peaceful thanks to [USSR President] Mikhail Gorbachev," Steinmeier said.