EU needs speedy political agreement with Ukraine: minister

‘The EU should come to a speedy political agreement with Ukraine,’ foreign affairs minister Frans Timmermans said on Monday evening.

The minister, who is fluent in Russian, was speaking on tv current affairs programme Nieuwsuur following his return from a trip to the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

He added that it is still too early for talks with the interim Ukrainian government on economic cooperation.

Timmermans said Russia’s actions in the Crimean are ‘breaking the friendship’ between two peoples who have never had an argument. Ukrainians and Russians have lived in the Crimean for centuries and Russian president Vladimir Putin is now putting that at risk, he said.

‘It will take some time before the Russians come to the negotiating table,’ Timmermans told Nieuwsuur. ‘A way must be found that Russia can live with, but that must be through talking and not through military action,’ he said.

The use of sanctions is an ‘ultimate’ step for the minister. ‘Russia would then bring in sanctions and there would be an escalation of sanctions,’ he said.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation