German FM in favour of 'new détente' with Russia: report

Sigmar Gabriel also said that if a truce is achieved as a result of a potential UN mission to the conflict-ridden Donbass region of eastern Ukraine then “we will have to start talking about lifting sanctions” imposed on Russia by the European Union.

“I am quite convinced that we need a new détente with Russia, even though because of the Crimea and Ukraine we have a difficult conflict,” Gabriel told RT deutsch, the German branch of RT, as quoted by the rt.com website.

"We are not going to solve many problems across the world without working together with Russia," he added.

Gabriel also said in the interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent idea of sending a UN mission to the Donbass region was a "serious proposal," according to a report by Poland’s niezalezna.pl website.

While Germany and Russia have different ideas about the “particulars” of such a mission, he said, “it would be insane not to sit at the negotiating table to discuss the idea and its implementation.”

According to Gabriel, an argument voiced by some in Europe that sanctions against Russia should only be lifted after the so-called Minsk agreements are 100 percent implemented is “unrealistic," niezalezna.pl said.

RT deutsch is a branch of Russia’s state-funded RT television station; it has been operating in Germany since 2014.

This was Gabriel's second interview for the station, which is considered to be a Kremlin propaganda mouthpiece, according to niezalezna.pl.

Gabriel has said that by granting an interview to the station he wants to reach citizens of Russian descent living in Germany, niezalezna.pl reported. (gs/pk)

Source: niezalezna.pl