The commander of the German navy has resigned after provoking criticism, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserves respect and that Kiev will never get its annexed Crimea back from Moscow, Reuters reports.
"I have asked the Minister of Defense, Christine Lambrecht, to relieve me of my duties immediately," Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach said in a statement. "The minister accepted my request."
Schönbach spoke at a discussion in India on Friday, and the video was posted on social media. The comments come at a delicate time when Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops along Ukraine's borders.
In New Delhi, Schönbach, speaking in English, said Putin wanted to be treated as an equal by the West.
"What he (Putin) really wants is respect," Schönbach said.
"And God, giving someone respect is a low price, even without a price ... It's easy to give them the respect they really demand - and probably deserve it," Schönbach said, calling Russia an old and important country.
Schönbach apologized for his comments.
"My reckless remarks in India ... are putting more and more strain on my office," he said. "I consider this step (resignation) necessary to prevent further damage to the German navy, German forces and the Federal Republic of Germany as a whole.
Ukraine's foreign ministry has called on Germany to publicly reject the fleet chief's comments. Schoenbach's comments could hurt the West's efforts to de-escalate the situation, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"Ukraine is grateful to Germany for the support it has already provided since 2014, as well as for its diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict. But Germany's current statements are disappointing and contradict this support and efforts," he wrote. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.
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