German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop attacks on Ukraine and show readiness for negotiations, saying during his visit to Kiev that the attacks on civilians must stop, DPA and Reuters reported.
„Mr. Putin, end this senseless war! We are ready for negotiations, we are ready to talk about ending it. But these barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop,” he urged.
Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the National Academy of Sciences in Kiev, which was hit by a drone attack on Monday.
During his visit, Russian strikes set off air raid sirens several times, and earlier in the morning a bridge in the north of the capital was also hit.
Speaking among the ruins of the academy, Merz said attacks like this one clearly show the futility of the conflict. “An attack on the Academy of Sciences in Kiev, in the city center, just a few hundred meters from the German embassy. And this morning, on a peaceful Sunday, an air raid in Kiev. These are daily war crimes being committed here.“
The Chancellor recalled that Ukrainian infrastructure is being hit daily at a time when the country is preparing for winter.
“I appeal once again to the Russian leadership, to the Russian president: Stop this war! We can talk, but only when the guns fall silent – and they must fall silent“, he said.
The drone hit the academy in the middle of the day. The strike and the subsequent fire destroyed two floors of the historic building. One woman died and about six people were injured.
Source: www.bta.bg