(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, JUN 24 - The European Union should seek
direct talks with President Vladimir Putin even as it stands
together against "provocations" from Russia, said Germany's
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday. "In my opinion, we as the
European Union must also seek direct contact with Russia and the
Russian president," she told parliament. "It is not enough for
the American president to talk to the Russian president," she
said, stressing that the European Union too "must also create
different formats for talks". Putin and US President Joe Biden
held face-to-face talks last week, in a meeting that both said
could lead to a more predictable, albeit still tense,
relationship. Merkel said recent events had shown that it was
not enough "if we react to the multitude of Russian provocations
in an uncoordinated manner". Rather, the 27-member bloc should
put up "a united front against the provocations". Moscow is at
loggerheads with a number of Western capitals after a Russian
troop build-up on Ukraine's borders and a series of espionage
scandals that have resulted in diplomatic expulsions.
(ANSA-AFP).
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