REUTERS

"The sustainable comprehensive settlement of the crisis is impossible without a direct dialogue between Kyiv and representatives of Donbas," Putin said during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

The Russian president called on the Ukrainian side to strictly follow the letter and spirit of the Minsk agreements. In particular, Kyiv must agree with the DPR and LPR and enact a permanent legislative support of the special status of the regions and the amnesty law, as well as determine the modalities and the procedure for the local elections, the press service said.

In addition, the Kremlin called "a goodwill gesture" the withdrawal of militants from the village of Shyrokyne and emphasized the need of the Ukrainian servicemen leaving the village.

Видео дня

"In this regard, it is necessary to withdraw the Ukrainian armed forces from the village of Shyrokyne, as it was previously done by the militants as a gesture of goodwill," the press service of the Russian president said.