Saturday, February 7, 2015

Munich Security Conference LIVE UPDATES

Published time: February 07, 2015 11:26 
Edited time: February 07, 2015 21:59 
Reuters/Michaela Rehle
Reuters/Michaela Rehle
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World leaders have gathered to discuss the key challenges in international security policy at the annual Munich Security Conference, which began on Friday. The on-going conflict in Ukraine is top of the agenda.

Sunday, February 8

05:51 GMT:
It is much easier for the US to call for more sanctions, when it has comparatively little trade with Russia, Executive Director of Germany’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Dr. Rainer Lindner, told RT in Munich.

“A country that has only 10 percent of trade with Russia than Germany has is easier to ask for sanctions because you don’t have much to lose. Given the fact that the America-Russia trade grew in 2014 by one percent and the German-Russian trade fell down by 20 percent shows you that even despite the fact that there were sanctions introduced by the Americans first and then the EU, the American-Russian trade grew and now we have big problem for European companies in Russia,” he said.

Lindner referred to the Munich conference as the “last chance to bring peace … and we shouldn’t miss it.” He further explained that a political solution is the only viable option. “We are desperately asking for political solutions because we don’t see any changes in [the political actions of] Russia through sanctions.”

Russia has to perceive this as strong signal from the Europeans, Lindner told RT. “It is not the Americans who enter Moscow. It is the Europeans - it is the Chancellor and French president. The appeal and the signal is: ‘don’t miss that chance for maybe a last solution for brining peace into Ukraine and not to deescalate.’”
05:50 GMT:
The time has come to find a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine, Executive Director of Germany’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Dr. Rainer Lindner, told RT in Munchen, adding that German and Russian business have taken a big hit.

“The business relations between Germany and Russia are in a very deep crisis as well as the political relations. And as business representatives, we convinced our political partners, both from Russia and our minister of economy, Mr Gabriel, that it is time to find a political solution for that crisis because business in Russia suffers a lot, but, also German business in Russia suffers,” Lindner said.
00:43 GMT:
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that America is thinking about sending “additional”assistance to Kiev, which could include weapons. “I have no doubt that additional assistance of [the] economic kind and other kinds will be going to Ukraine,” Kerry said in Munich.
At the same time, he stressed that the US sees that there is “no military solution” to the conflict in southeastern Ukraine. “And we do so understanding that there is no military solution. The solution is a political, diplomatic one,” Kerry said.

Saturday, February 7

22:48 GMT:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned US Secretary of State John Kerry that US plans to supply Kiev with military equipment might have “unpredictable consequences,” including “disrupting the efforts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine.” He stressed that Russia and US agree that the only basis for any solution is comprehensive national dialogue on constitutional reform.
22:48 GMT:
Russia and the US discussed the prospects of Iran nuclear talks, the situation in Yemen as well as Syria, the Russian foreign ministry said following the meeting between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry. Lavrov noted that there is a need to help establish dialogue between Damascus and opposition and talked about the results of the Syrian meeting in Moscow.
22:45 GMT:
The Franco-German strategy to resolve the conflict in southeastern Ukraine is based on the Minsk agreements, but it also proposes new details on how to implement the peace treaty, including the timing of certain steps, Reuters quoted a senior State Department official as saying. The official spoke after he met with leaders from Germany and Ukraine.
“What is different is there is a bit more detail around how it will be implemented and more of a roadmap on timing, but it is broadly consistent with Minsk,” the official said.
He denied there is any disagreement between US and Europe over supplying Kiev with more weapons.
22:17 GMT:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses during the 51st Munich Security Conference at the 'Bayerischer Hof' hotel in Munich February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michael Dalder)
Russia will not sacrifice its “national interest,” but is ready to “engage constructively” with the US, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during the meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Munich, according to the foreign ministry’s Facebook page. Lavrov added that trying to pressure Russia with sanctions is useless and will not solve the crisis.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses during the 51st Munich Security Conference at the 'Bayerischer Hof' hotel in Munich February 7, 2015. (Reuters/Michael Dalder) 

20:20 GMT:
Protesters marched outside the 51st Munich Security Conference to demonstrate against NATO, as world leaders gather to discuss international security concerns including the crisis in eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Ruptly reports. Demonstrators carried placards reading “more armour, more weapons will not create peace," in reference to NATO’s plans to increase their military presence in Eastern Europe.
20:01 GMT:

19:31 GMT:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, Saturday evening during the Security Conference in Munich.
Poroshenko said that united EU support for Kiev was essential in order to stabilize the situation in the Donbass region of the country.
“The success of peace talks largely depends on the consolidation of the European and transatlantic position,” he said.
Mogherini meanwhile underscored the importance of finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine. She also voiced her support for any “peaceful initiatives” of the Ukrainian president, Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel.

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