German Foreign Min urges Russia to stick to international law again

To achieve this, Germany and its European allies need clear principles and a "true dialogue" on common security in Europe, Maas added.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday urged Moscow to stick to international law again and respect the territorial sovereignty of neighbouring countries, following Russia's seizure of Ukrainian vessels.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has warned of an "extremely serious" threat of a land invasion after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and took their crew prisoner at the weekend.

"The aim must be that Russia sticks to international rules again and that it does not violate the territorial sovereignty of its neighbours," Maas said in a speech in Berlin.

To achieve this, Germany and its European allies need clear principles and a "true dialogue" on common security in Europe, Maas added.

 

(With inputs from agencies.)