Macron, Merkel call on Russia to stabilize ceasefire in Donbas / REUTERS

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have called on Russia to take on obligations to stabilize the ceasefire in Donbas.

On March 30, Macron, Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Donbas, as reported on the official website of the Élysée Palace.

"It was stressed that Russia must take on a firm obligation to stabilize the ceasefire in Ukraine and develop ways out of the crisis in accordance with the Minsk agreements," the report says.

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Read alsoKremlin spox: Putin plans no talks with ZelenskyIn turn, the German Federal Government's website reported that Macron and Merkel had called for negotiations in the Normandy format on the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Background

  • Earlier the Kremlin announced its plans to discuss the situation in Donbas with Merkel and Macron, but without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
  • The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claimed the results could be achieved only with a full complement of the Normandy format.
  • Meanwhile, on March 30, 2021, Putin held a videoconference with Merkel and Macron. They discussed the situation in Donbas, the prospects for registration of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in the EU, the situation in Libya, the Iranian nuclear program, and relations between Russia and the EU.