Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel unanimously agreed on immediate restoration of peace in southeastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said Tuesday. They expressed concern during a phone conversation about the recent activities of the armed conflict between Ukrainian government troops and local militias in the Donbass region, as per Indian Express reports.
Putin told Merkel that there was “a clear desire for Kiev to disrupt the implementation of the Minsk agreements and use the Normandy format as a cover for its destructive steps.”
The Normandy format is a group of countries striving to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. These include Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, Putin and Merkel agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to promote a peaceful settlement to the crisis and hold further Normandy group meetings.
