We are deeply concerned to see the humanitarian situation becoming more and more extreme for the civilian population, especially in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. We are taking that development very seriously; we raised Germany’s humanitarian aid total to 3.5 million euros in early July. We are working primarily with the recognised international organisations (Red Cross, UNHCR, OCHA) to ensure that the aid is well coordinated and arrives where it is most needed.

I talked to a range of our European partners only yesterday to discuss what further concrete assistance we can offer. We are agreed that Russian aid must only be delivered with the express consent of the Ukrainian Government. Furthermore, assistance for the people should be provided under the aegis of international organisations like the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is an independent and experienced player.

It is good that there seems to be a basic agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the delivery of humanitarian supplies and that the Contact Group is to agree on the details.