Angela Merkel one again called on Vladimir Putin from Brussels, where she was attending the European Council meeting, to comply with the provisions of the Minsk Protocol. "Unfortunately it must be said that the provisions of the peace plan of the Ukrainian President and the Russian President, which also bears the signatures of those responsible in Luhansk and Donetsk, are still far removed from what has actually been achieved to date," said Angela Merkel. The EU thus "sees no opportunity at the present time to discuss any easing of sanctions".

Government spokesperson Christiane Wirtz reminded her audience that the formal ceasefire "is in fact a misnomer, since 300 people have already died since it came into force". There is also the matter of border controls and the many other issues laid out in the agreement signed in Minsk in September. It is now important to "join forces" and work to have these provisions translated into practice.

Sanctions on Russia remain in force

In conjunction with the implementation of the Minsk Protocol, the spokesperson reported that the Chancellor had "once again made it quite clear that until genuine progress is made there can be no question of easing or lifting the sanctions in any way, or of taking any similar steps".

The sanctions on Russia were agreed at European level and have "a great deal of support from industry", which has recognised that in this case political considerations take precedence, reported Christiane Wirtz. In areas that are not affected by sanctions "it is the responsibility of each business" to consider its actions. The German government believes that businesses must be "quite clear about their responsibility" and act such that they can reconcile their actions with their own corporate policy". The freedom of companies to do business comes to bear here.

The deputy Federal Foreign Office spokesperson Sewsan Chebli added that, given the inadequate realisation of the provisions of the Minsk Protocol "easing sanctions on Russia is not currently an option." As soon as significant positive developments on the Russian side become apparent, we will have to consider how sanctions can be eased or lifted. Or of course, stepped up should the situation deteriorate further. "This is the only way to get things moving in a hopefully positive direction," said Sewsan Chebli.

Dispute over gas supplies unresolved

Russian gas supplies to Ukraine, and the financing of these supplies, were another item on the agenda of the European Council meeting. The Chancellor reporting that some sort of bridging funding would be required. How this can be realised must still be discussed.

It is not a question of new cash, but of cash to be provided for an interim period. No later than February, Ukraine will receive financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and then from the European Union. Russia, however, expects payments in December.

Consequences for Europe

Any agreement, or the lack thereof has an impact on European gas supplies, said the Chancellor. Currently, Europe is channelling Russian gas to Ukraine, through Slovakia, for instance. This "reverse flow" would dry up if there were no agreement between Russia and Ukraine, because Europe would then need all the gas to meet its own demand.

"We are a community based on solidarity, and that means honest negotiations in good faith," said the Chancellor. Given good will though she sees a way of coming together. EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger is acting as mediator in the dispute. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday next week.

The German government has stressed repeatedly that it is interested in seeing "a bilateral agreement in the gas dispute between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible". An agreement of this sort – provided it were watertight – would be a clear sign of de-escalation and certainly also a contribution, a commitment to stabilising the situation, said federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert on Wednesday.

Banning inhuman practices

On Wednesday government spokesperson Steffen Seibert also commented on the claims of the human rights organisation Human Rights Watch that banned cluster munitions had been used in fighting in eastern Ukraine. The German government has "of course noted the Human Rights Watch report, and the denials of the Ukrainian government." Steffen Seibert added, "We have no way of ascertaining the truth of these claims at this moment."

He called for a thorough investigation. The report was unable to establish conclusively which side had used the cluster munitions, but the accusations are extremely serious, stressed the government spokesperson. "We consider the use of cluster bombs to be inhuman." The "submunition" dispersed over a wide area by the individual bombs "is a massive threat to the civilian population even years later as the unexploded ordnance remains armed."

Steffen Seibert stated unequivocally, "Should bombs of this sort have been used in Ukraine – by whatever side, the German government would condemn the act resoundingly."
He called on the parties to the conflict to refrain from any sort of human rights violations.

The Federal Republic of Germany signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions (which resulted from the Oslo process) in 2008. Neither Ukraine nor Russia has yet signed the Convention.

"The German government would welcome both countries taking this step swiftly," said the government spokesperson, and pointed in this context to the report of the UN special representative on human rights, which also points to serious human rights violations "perpetrated in particular by the separatists who are supported by Russia," said Steffen Seibert.

Cases of killing, torture, abduction, terrorisation of the population and other extremely serious human rights violations are mentioned. The German government is "very much interested in seeing these matters investigated – and by that I obviously also mean the claims regarding the use of cluster bombs," said the spokesperson.

Core demands not yet met

The German government calls on the parties to the conflict to cooperate on thoroughly investigating these claims. "For this it would be particularly important to end the violence in Donetsk and Luhansk, and restore a legitimate state order through free and fair elections monitored and supervised by international teams," said Steffen Seibert.

The Chancellor declared last week in the German Bundestag that the situation in Ukraine is still extremely difficult. Despite the ceasefire, reports are received every day of fighting and victims. Russia is called on here to make the "crucial contribution to de-escalation".