Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Bemoans Left Party Lawmaker's Crimean Visit

Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk addressed German Foreign Ministry calling to denounce the Left Party lawmaker's Andreas Maurer current visit to Crimea.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk addressed German Foreign Ministry calling to denounce the Left Party lawmaker's Andreas Maurer visit to Crimea.

"Regarding the illegal visit of the Left Party member Andreas Maurer in the occupied Crimea, [I] called on the German Foreign Ministry to strongly condemn this and other such gambles," Melnyk posted in this official Twitter account.

The delegation of some 60 German businessmen, politicians and representatives of the public are paying an official visit to Crimea to participate in the Days of German culture on May 24-June 1.

Chairman of the Left Party faction in the parliament of the German Quakenbrueck town, Andreas Maurer, is among the delegation. On Tuesday, announced plans to introduce a bill calling for the recognition of Crimea as a part of Russia and lifting of anti-Russian sanctions.

As relations between Brussels and Moscow cooled amid Crimea's reunification with Russia and the crisis in Ukraine in 2014, the European Union has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia. The latest round of Western sanctions is up for extension among EU members before the July 31 expiration deadline. The European Council is set to meet on June 28 and is expected to debate the issue.