Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
The discussion focused on the situation in southeastern Ukraine, which recently deteriorated due to Ukraine’s provocative actions. The parties expressed serious concern over the escalating armed conflict, which has caused human fatalities and significant destruction of the civil infrastructure and residential areas in several Donbass towns.
Vladimir Putin drew Angela Merkel’s attention to the data of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission as well as statements by official Kiev representatives, which indicate attempts by the Ukrainian security forces to change the situation at the contact line in their favour by military means. It is becoming obvious that Kiev officials are trying to sabotage the execution of the Minsk Agreements and use the Normandy format to conceal their destructive acts.
President Putin and Chancellor Merkel spoke for restoring the ceasefire immediately and supported the efforts of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in this context.
The parties agreed to intensify diplomatic efforts to assist with the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. In particular, this includes contacts between foreign ministers and the leaders’ aides within the Normandy format in the earliest possible timeframe, and subsequent discussions of the situation at the top level.
Link: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53821
