BERLIN, Nov 30 (KUNA) -- The German Government on Tuesday warned Russia against launching an attack on the Ukraine.
"Russia will pay a heavy price for any form of offensive on the Ukraine," warned the outgoing Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a statement upon his departure to Latvia for a meeting grouping NATO countries' foreign ministers.
Support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the Ukraine will not stop, he said, affirming the alliance keenness on safeguarding the country's sovereignty.
Alluding to Russia troops' buildup along the Russian-Ukrainian borders, the German minister said his nation was deeply concerned due to the Russian forces' massing in the borders with the Ukraine.
He also voiced concern for recurring breaches of a truce that had been signed between pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine and the Ukrainian Government, noting that the violations might hamper tasks of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe's teams.
The armed separatists and Ukrainian Army troops have been engaging in sporadic fighting in the contested regions in the east.
Germany, France, Russia and the Ukraine worked out the "Minsk accord" in 2015, calling for a cease-fire along the demarcation lines in eastern Ukraine.
However, the truce has been repeatedly breached, amid trades of accusations by the warring parties. (end) anj.rk