Russia, Germany agree to send OSCE observers to Ukraine

The Kremlin said on March 23 that Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a phone call, expressing satisfaction with reaching an agreement to send observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Ukraine.

"The situation that arose after Crimea's reunification with the Russian Federation was discussed. Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, the sides expressed satisfaction with the agreement on the tasks of an OSCE monitoring mission," the Putin administration's press service said.

A group of OSCE military observers were blocked at the checkpoint at the entrance to Crimea on March 7, 2014. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

On March 21, Russia and 56 other members of the OSCE agreed to send a six-month monitoring mission to Ukraine, but said the mission would have no mission in Crimea.

Speaking after a visit to Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his impression from his visit to Kiev and the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on March 22 was that the situation was extremely unstable.

Mr. Steinmeier also said that the planned monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could help avoid escalating tensions./.

According to VNA