Angela Merkel, who called Vladimir Putin to discuss the migration crisis on the border between Belarus and the European Union, gave the details of this conversation.

The acting Chancellor stressed that the solution to the migrant problem should be “humane”. She also thanked the countries “who are concerned about protecting the EU’s external borders – this is Lithuania, Latvia and Poland”.

As the official representative of the German government Steffen Seibert said, answering the question of why the acting Chancellor did not contact Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko directly, Minsk did not respond to Berlin direct contact requests since presidential elections in Belarus.

He added that, according to the German side, “the Russian leadership has significant influence in Minsk and the Lukashenka regime”, therefore, “a conversation with Putin is a conversation with someone who will be heard in Minsk”.