Kremlin promises to encourage Donbas militants to act in "constructive way"

REUTERS

"Russia will be sure to travel its part of the path (to implement the Minsk agreements) and will encourage the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR, LPR) to act in a constructive way," Lavrov said, TASS wrote.

In turn, Steinmeier stressed that the Minsk agreements were a key part of the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Speaking to Russian students of the Urals Federal University, the German minister added that Germany and Russia should maintain dialogue despite the persisting points of contention.

"We have not overcome the crisis in our relationship…," he said. "However, Germany and Russia should not turn away from each other but maintain dialogue."