Germany urges Russia, Ukraine to de-escalate conflict

Speaking in Kiev after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin, Maas again called for Moscow to release of the crews of three Ukrainian navy vessels it seized in November off Crimea."All sides must contribute to the de-escalation of the conflicts," said Maas in Kiev after meeting with Lavrov earlier in the day in Moscow.Klimkin welcomed the offer to monitor shipping traffic through the Kerch Strait.