The Russian President has met the German Chancellor to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe.<br /><br /> Angela Merkel joined Vladimir Putin in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a day after Russia staged its biggest ever military parade to celebrate its victory over Nazi Germany in what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.<br /><br /> Saturday’s ceremony was boycotted by nearly all EU leaders over Moscow’s stance on Ukraine, the subject of tense talks on Sunday.<br /><br /> “Because of the criminal annexation of Crimea which violated international law and the military clashes in eastern Ukraine, our mutual cooperation has suffered a serious setback – serious, because we see it as a violation of the principles of the common European peace,” Merkel told a news conference.<br /><br /> “The lesson of history is that we have to try everything to solve conflicts – as difficult as they might seem – peacefully and in dialogue and that means diplomatically,” she added.<br /><br /> Merkel a
