Poroshenko: Risk of ‘open war’ with Russia is higher

An exclusive interview has been published by Business Insider given by President Petro Poroshenko.

Poroshenko gave an interview to the leading German newspaper Bild.

The Ukranian president discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to involve Russia in the ongoing Syrian civil war as well as ongoing tensions with Russia, as he has been pressing Western allies to maintain sanctions on the country over its support for militants in Ukraine.

BILD: Mister Poroshenko, you have just returned from a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Has Germany abandoned Ukraine because of the refugee crisis?

Petro Poroshenko: No, on the contrary! The fact that we had such an intensive meeting today shows the priority that Ukraine has for Germany and the whole of Europe. Everyone knows: if Russia threatens Ukraine and also has its sights on other states, this concerns the global security of Europe. Russia is still not implementing the Minsk Agreement, but is increasing the number of its troops in Ukraine.

BILD: How serious is the danger of open war?

Poroshenko: More serious than last year. Russia has not implemented a single point of the Minsk Agreement. Instead, we can see 8,000 Russian soldiers with Russian commanders in our country, new military sites directly along the border, and constant military trainings.

Russia is investing a lot in these war preparations. And we are not getting any explanations for this.

BILD: Do you need more weapons from Germany to defend yourself?

Poroshenko: We are open to this possibility and we are advocating it, because this concerns the security situation in Europe. We should all support each other more in order to be prepared for everything.

The primary solution is a diplomatic one. Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande play a very important role in the de-escalation process.

Exactly one year ago, in February of 2015, we met in Minsk after the Kramatorsk tragedy when a Russian multiple rocket launcher shelled houses of civilians more than 50 km away from the frontline. No explanation was received afterwards.

The full interview in English is available at Businessinsider.com.