REUTERS
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Francois Hollande and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday to discuss the implementation of the Minsk peace agreements and the possibility of the withdrawal of weapons of smaller caliber, according to the Ukrainian presidential press service.
The three leaders agreed to invigorate efforts to ensure the full ceasefire and the withdrawal heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine.
Poroshenko once again stressed the importance of de-escalation in areas near the village of Shyrokyne, located close to the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol.
He also pointed out the need to agree on the withdrawal of weapons whose caliber is smaller than 100 mm. This initiative was supported by Hollande and Merkel.
What is more, the leaders of France and Germany recommended that Ukraine should continue constitutional reform aimed at decentralization of power in Ukraine, which is in line with the Minsk agreements, and particularly stressed that draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine should reflect specific features of self-government in certain districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.