Ukraine's Western allies will have to start negotiations with Russia on the settlement of the conflict. This was stated by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"I am sure that at a certain moment, and now the people responsible for this should determine this moment, we will need a dialogue. There will be no purely military solution," she stressed in an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper.
Merkel also noted that President-elect Donald Trump was right when he said that European countries spend too little on defense needs. According to her, Western leaders should listen to Trump's arguments, as well as maintain firmness and consistency in building relations with him.
"Just stay firm. Don't be too friendly or too tough—just stay who you are. We need to try to make the best use of the situation. And the main thing is not to be afraid," she summed up.
Earlier in the day, Merkel said it was unacceptable that Kiev alone decided to negotiate with Moscow. At the same time, she admitted that she was not able to predict when negotiations on a peaceful settlement between the parties to the conflict would begin, because she was no longer involved in politics, Izvestia reminds.