The German navy chief resigned late on Saturday amid criticism at home and abroad over his remarks about Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine will not be able to retake the Crimean peninsula that Russia occupied in 2014, Vice Admiral K. Achim Shoenbach said at an event in India on Friday.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin deserves "respect," he said, adding that it was important for Russia to stand on its own two feet against China. The video, which was filmed, sparked outrage in Ukraine, which summoned the German ambassador to protest. In Germany, too, Shoenkhab's remarks caused a stir.
"We must be fired to prevent further damage to Germany and its military," Shoenkhab said late Saturday. The German navy said in a statement that Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had accepted Shoenkhab's resignation and appointed a deputy naval chief in charge.
The German government has said it is with NATO allies on the issue of military threats from Russia to Ukraine. Germany has warned that Russia will pay a heavy price for its military action against its neighbor. However, the country has said it will not supply lethal weapons to Ukraine