Merkel, Putin discuss situation in Donbas, Minsk agreements

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

A phone conversation between the two leaders took place on Tuesday, June 9, German Government Spokesperson Steffen Seibert said.

"[The conversation was dedicated to] the implementation of the Minsk agreements for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, as well as the situation in Syria, in particular the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country," Seibert said.

According to him, they also discussed the situation in Libya and cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

For its part, the Kremlin press service notes that the phone conversation was initiated by the German side. During the conversation, "the sides voiced concern over the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk accords of 2015 and resolutions of the Normandy Four summit in Paris in 2019." Putin once again stressed "the necessity of a direct dialogue between Kyiv and Donetsk and Luhansk."

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