Putin, Merkel, Hollande to discuss Ukraine
MOSCOW: The leaders of Russia, Germany and France have agreed to meet to discuss the situation in Ukraine on September 4-5 in China on the sidelines of the G20 summit, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
A recent surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev is fighting pro-Russian separatists, and fresh tension in Crimea have raised concern that a fragile ceasefire agreed in Minsk in February 2015 could collapse.
Russian’s Vladimir Putin held a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. Putin, it said, drew attention to “provocations” by Ukraine in Crimea.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after protesters overthrew Kiev’s pro-Moscow president. The Kremlin also said concern was expressed about instability along the line of confrontation in east Ukraine.
French President Francois Hollande voiced his “concern” over a spike in tensions in Ukraine, in a telephone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, his office said on Tuesday.
“The president... expressed his concern over a rise in tensions these past weeks and a growing number of ceasefire violations,” it said in a statement after the call, which also included German Chancellor Angela Merkel. A German government spokesman said the three leaders shared concern in their phone call about ceasefire breaches in Ukraine’s Donbass region and that Merkel and Hollande had urged Putin to do what he could to calm the situation.
Putin, Merkel and Hollande also discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
“There was agreement that progress was urgently needed and that in particular a stabilisation of the ceasefire had to be achieved,” said the German spokesman.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said last week he did not rule out introducing martial law and a new wave of military mobilisation if the separatist conflict worsened.