Michael Kretschmer and Dietmar Woidke, the respective Minister-presidents of the eastern German states of Saxony and Brandenburg, in an interview on Friday called on the European Union to remove sanctions against Russia
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2019) Michael Kretschmer and Dietmar Woidke, the respective Minister-presidents of the eastern German states of Saxony and Brandenburg, in an interview on Friday called on the European Union to remove sanctions against Russia."As a German politician, I'm thinking about many companies in the new Federal states [the country's east], which are hit particularly hard by the consequences of sanctions," Kretschmer said, as cited by the Spiegel magazine, adding that this stance was shared by a large number of Germans and not only in the country's east.
His remarks were echoed by Woidke, who warned against taking a tough stance toward Russia, something that the new European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has been encouraging.
"We need a clear attitude, not harshness. Above all, we do not need to pour oil onto the fire," Woidke said.
He added that judging from how many people had approached him with questions about how to improve relations with Moscow, a clear majority would likely opt for the sanctions to be removed if a relevant vote were held.
Since 2014, the West has exerted political and economic pressure on Moscow over its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and Crimea's reunification with Russia. The European Union and a number of states, including the United States, Canada and Australia, have since imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia's energy, banking and defense sectors. Moscow has denied all allegations and taken countermeasures.
Earlier this month, Klaus Ernst, the head of the German parliament's Economic Committee, called on the European Union to reconsider the expediency of sanctions against Russia, saying that over the past five years they had proven ineffective in changing Moscow's policies and even harmful for German businesses in Russia.
