Germany downplays report of rift with NATO over Breedlove comments

BERLIN/RIGA (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier downplayed a magazine report on Saturday of tensions with NATO over hawkish comments about Ukraine made by the Western alliance's supreme allied commander.

Der Spiegel news magazine said an official in Chancellor Angela Merkel's offices had complained of Air Force General Philip Breedlove's "dangerous propaganda" over Ukraine and that Steinmeier had talked to the NATO General Secretary about him.