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Merkel, who is the only western leader who speaks regularly with Putin, and can do so in German and Russian, professed herself to be “pretty relaxed, if I can put it this way,” about Russia moderating its behaviour in the face of further western sanctions and its economic imperative of being able to continue selling oil and gas to Europe.

“We are trying to win the other side over to pursue a course where Ukraine is allowed to take its own sovereign decisions,” Merkel said of the sanctions regime. “It is not that all these decisions have to be against Russia, but Ukraine needs to be in a position to make its own decision to hold free and fair elections and elect a president and pursue economic links with all partners it wishes to have. This is a very simply demand.”

Under no circumstances would NATO be called upon, both leaders agreed, unless Russia took military action against one of the trans-Atlantic alliance’s member states, and the Group of Eight would not convene again until and unless Russia accepted the group’s values.

“We are not pursuing a military solution,” Merkel said. “We don’t think a military solution is a viable option…

“We made it very clear at the G7 that there will be (further) sanctions if de-escalation does not take place (and) matters spin out of control between Russia and Ukraine. The G8 can only happen if there is a certain conducive atmosphere. Part of that conducive atmosphere is common ground regarding a shared understanding of international law and values. If that is not there the G8 simply does not exist as a format and certainly not as a summit meeting.”