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M. Continuo

Germany says still far away from a solution to Ukraine


    SOFIA (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that a solution to the crisis in Ukraine was still a long way off, and that Ukraine will need significant support given the dire state of its economy.

    "The road on which we have been and we are on, is probably the first step for calming down the situation, but we all know that we are still very far from a solution," Steinmeier said through an interpreter during a visit to Bulgaria.

    "And I need to underline again the financial engagement which we will have to Ukraine, given its grave economic situation."

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday pro-Russian rebels had withdrawn a significant amount of weaponry from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine in accordance with a three-week-old ceasefire deal.

    (Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Matthias Williams and Catherine Evans)