Economics
Merkel's Ukraine Resolve Tested as Putin Holds Refugee Key
- Ukrainian premier in Berlin as Syrian conflict looms large
- Germany, France said to reject sanctions deal with Putin
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel is signaling to Russian President Vladimir Putin that she’ll stand firm on defending Ukraine, even at the risk of denying herself a possible ally in stemming Europe’s refugee crisis.
With Russia’s leverage boosted by its military involvement in the Syrian civil war, Merkel turned attention to Ukraine by hosting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Berlin on Friday. Though a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine’s separatist conflict is largely holding, Merkel and French President Francois Hollande -- architects of the peace plan -- won’t make a deal with Putin to ease sanctions on Russia to win his cooperation on Syria, according to two government officials with knowledge of their thinking.