European leaders call on Ukraine to take a rational approach in tensions with Russia

In a speech at the German-Ukraine Economic Forum in Berlin on November 29 before leaving for Argentina to attend the G20 Summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Ukraine to "know how to consider" and have a reasonable approach to the current crisis with Russia in the Azov Sea.

Ms. Merkel also said that, in the context of the current tense confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, a military solution is completely ruled out because it is completely useless.

The statement was made by Mrs. Merkel in the presence of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and is believed to be Mrs. Merkel's response to Ukrainian President Petro Porochenko's earlier call that NATO countries need to send warships to the Azov Sea to deter Russia and ensure international maritime security.

However, Ms. Merkel also said that she will have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, and called on the Russian government to immediately release the Ukrainian soldiers currently being held.

Faced with pressure on Europe to sanction Russia, Ms. Merkel said that "Europe does not sanction just for the sake of sanctioning, but must comply with the bloc's principles as well as international law."

These reactions of Mrs. Merkel are also the common outstanding reactions of European countries to the Russia-Ukraine tension. Previously, on November 28, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Ms. Federica Mogherini also issued a statement asking Russia to ensure unhindered freedom of movement in the Kerch Strait, but did not mention the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Russia./.