EU "would respond to offensive in Ukraine"

EU "would respond to offensive in Ukraine"

Steinmeier told Gazeta Wyborcza ahead of his trip to Warsaw that the agreement from Minsk helped to avoid "an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict," and that the resulting ceasefire is "largely being respected."

"On the other hand it is true that the risk of re-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine has not yet been eliminated. It is therefore important that we keep our hand on the pulse of the implementation of the decisions from Minsk. One thing is clear in any case: a new escalation through a massive offensive of separatists in Mariupol or elsewhere in eastern Ukraine would not remain without a response from the EU, " said Steinmeier.

The German minister arrived in Warsaw along with Chancellor Angela Merkel and other members of the German government "for consultations" with the government of Polish Prime Minister Polish Ewa Kopacz.

Steinmeier "praised the fact that the authorities in Kiev began to engage in painful reforms, for instance, in fighting corruption and in changes in the energy sector."

"It is important for us that that the new legal framework is applied consistently. Germany is in any case prepared to vigorously support Ukraine's willingness to implement reforms," said he.

Steinmeier also told the paper that Greece can count "on the solidarity of Germany and the EU," and that the goal of both is for Greece to remain in the eurozone.

"This means that while Greece itself must respect the promises and commitments of budget consolidation and reforms. It does not have an indefinite amount of time for that. I believe that our Greek partners are aware of the seriousness of the situation," Steinmeier said.

The German minister also "appealed on all members of the EU to take joint responsibility for refugees from Africa and Asia."

"We have to start from the source of the problem, specifically the crises in the countries, such as Libya, which is a transit country for many refugees. We will continue to engage there in order for political agreement to be reached. We need to finally cut the activities of human smugglers who are exposing refugees to mortal danger out of their unscrupulous hunger for profits," said Steinmeier.

According to him, it is "not sustainable" that only six of the 28 EU member states receive 80 percent of illegal refugees who enter the EU across the Mediterranean Sea.

The main topics of the consultations of the German and Polish governments will be "Russia and Ukraine," while unofficially, Gazeta Wyborcza writes, it is expected that Kopacz will ask Merkel that the sanctions imposed on Russia not be softened.