German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has accused Russia of a "blatant breach" of international law and of undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, following Moscow's recognition of its breakaway provinces.
"Today's recognition of the separatist self-declared 'People's Republics' in eastern Ukraine by [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin represents a blatant breach of international law and is a seriousblow to all diplomatic efforts," Baerbock said on Monday evening.
"Years of efforts in the Normandy format and the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] have thus been undone wilfully and without comprehensible reason," she added.
"The recognition is also a further violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, which we condemn in the strongest possible terms," she added.
"We will respond to this breach of international law," Baerbock vowed, while calling on Russia to reverse the decision.
