German minister calls for new arms control agreement with Russia

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier attends a news conference after a meeting on the Syria crisis at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, France, March 4, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister has called for a new arms control deal with Moscow to avoid an escalation of tensions in Europe, where intensified military exercises by Russia and NATO have raised concerns that a war could inadvertently be triggered.

In an apparent reference to Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Russia had violated basic, non-negotiable principles of peace, breaking delicate bonds of trust built up over decades.