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Senior German official notes ‘impressive changes’ in Moscow’s stance on Ukraine

“These are the very same actions we wanted to see from Russia and were trying to achieve,” coordinator for German-Russian Intersocietal Cooperation Gernot Erler said
Coordinator for German-Russian Intersocietal Cooperation Gernot Erler EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE
Coordinator for German-Russian Intersocietal Cooperation Gernot Erler
© EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE

BERLIN, June 24. /ITAR-TASS/. A senior German official promoting contact between the societies of Germany and Russia has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to have the parliament’s permission to use the Russian army in Ukraine revoked.

“These are the very same actions we wanted to see from Russia and were trying to achieve,” coordinator for German-Russian Intersocietal Cooperation Gernot Erler told Germany’s HR-Info radio station on Tuesday.

“We can state that impressive changes have taken place in recent days” in Moscow’s position, he said, adding that it was time now to start “a substantive political dialogue”.

“It is important to know whether Russia is ready to tighten control over its border with Ukraine and to counteract arms smuggling and prevent mercenaries from crossing it,” Erler said. “This will be a central issue in the coming days.”