German foreign minister speaks against long-term isolation of Russia

BERLIN, March 5. /TASS/. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has spoken against long-term isolation of Russia because of the Ukrainian conflict Thursday in an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt. It is necessary to continue negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis, Steinmeier stressed. "Clear words are appropriate" for solving the Ukrainian conflict, the minister said. "However, I never had any illusions that conflicts can be solved only with them [words] or with sanctions," Steinmeier said. It is important "to have courage to return to the negotiating table" in order to solve problems and use every opportunity for that, he added. Along with that, West’s critique of Russia does not exclude its commitment to dialogue with Moscow, the minister stressed. "I do not bid on Europe’s long-term isolation of Russia," Steainmeier said. "Even if the search for a political solution takes many years or maybe even decades, we must do everything that we can to solve the conflict," he stressed. The Minsk agreements "are not perfect," the minister said. "I always said that reaching them [Minsk agreements] is not a breakthrough. However, if heavy weaponry withdrawal is completed, if ceasefire is held in general and if we possibly get an opportunity to deliver humanitarian aid to the region, it will be a lot more than ‘nothing’, which everyone wants to see in the Minsk agreements," Steinmeier said. Read more