Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the situation in Donbas and also ways for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, a Jan. 14 report of the Ukrainian presidential press service says.
The interlocutors discussed further steps on the way to a peaceful settlement
in Donbas and confirmed that it can be reached through full implementation of
all provisions of the Minsk accords.
Specifically they stressed the importance of reaching the separation line
that was recorded in the September 19, 2014 Minsk memorandum and withdrawing
heavy armaments.
Poroshenko noted that the process should be accompanied by an effective and
guaranteed ceasefire mode. The sides also called for the release of all
captives.
Poroshenko drew special attention to the grave condition of pilot Nadia
Savchenko who has been in a detention facility in Russia for about seven months
and is on a hunger strike for 33 days. He called on the international community
to bend every effort for her release.
The leaders agreed that a meeting of the trilateral contact group is
necessary in the next few days for the practical discussion of the enforcement
of provisions of the Minsk accords, especially concerning the separation line
and the withdrawal of heavy armaments.
The sides expressed readiness for further multilateral talks on the Normandy
format in case of progress in the enforcement of the Minsk accords, holding a
session of the trilateral contact group and a fruitful meeting of foreign
ministers.
