German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed fears of a possible split in the EU because of the situation in Ukraine.

"Against the background of what is happening now in Ukraine, the most significant risk for us is a breakup of Europe," he said at a press conference in Tallinn on Tuesday after meeting with the foreign ministers of the Baltic countries.

"Everything that has recently been taken together by the EU and the OSCE shows that Europe is far from reaching political agreement. A sign of this is the failed talks on gas supplies to Ukraine and the downed military plane in Ukraine," Steinmeier said.

He said it was important that international efforts make Russia change its activity in Ukraine. He said that one cannot also ignore "the violation by Russian military aircraft of Baltic airspace."

He expressed the solidarity of Europeans with the Baltic countries: "Your problems are our problems."

Steinmeier also said that the failure of gas negotiations would influence the EU member states as they will have to partially use their fuel reserves.

"The failure of negotiations directly affects Europe. We hope that Russia will be open to negotiations, and it was stated by Gunther Oettinger," he said.

He urged EU states to cooperate and develop common positions in the light of what is happening in Ukraine.