The two country leaders are also to discuss the issue of the EU deploying a peacekeeping mission to the eastern Ukraine, Ukraine Today reports.

Amid daily breaches of the Minsk truce by Russia-backed militants, earlier efforts to maintain peace in the Donbas have not proved effective. The Ukrainian government, backed by NATO officials, has also expressed fears of a new militant offensive in the near future, so diplomacy is now a one of the key instruments to de-escalate the conflict.

The Poroshenko-Merkel talks came following the visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry to Russia on May, 12 where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov, chief of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Kerry and Lavrov sent some positive vibes to the press after their meeting despite the long-time lows in Russia-U.S. relations due to Moscow’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and the Russia-orchestrated conflict in the Donbas.

Kerry reaffirmed that the economic sanctions imposed on Russia could be eased if the Kremlin used its influence to make militants to abide by the truce. At the same time, he also made clear the Washington’s “deep concerns regarding situation on the ground, continued perceived violations of ceasefire in Shyrokyne and at Donetsk airport, and Russia’s continued arming, training, command and control of separatist forces.”

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