In a passionate speech at the G5 summit held in Hanover on April 25, Barack Obama urged Europe to stay united. He also stressed that the world needed a strong Europe to support progress and solve security issues.
The visit to Germany was the last stop of Obama’s six-day overseas tour, during which he sought to strengthen ties with US allies to combat Islamist militants, stop Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and stimulate international trade.
John HERBST, Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council, Washington, D.C.:
“The most important point made during the Hanover press conference with President Obama and Chancellor Merkel was that the sanctions on Russia will remain until Moscow fully implements its Minsk obligations. Chancellor Merkel’s reference to the unstable – actually, non-existent – ceasefire and the need to take detailed steps in the political process is quite interesting. The past three months have witnessed some signs that the parties are starting to look at new ways to register progress in the political process – the Nuland-Surkov meeting in January, the floating of the idea of naming Yurii Boiko and Rinat Akhmetov governors of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts. Ms. Merkel may well be in this spirit.”
