German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last night that Russian troops should be completely removed from Ukraine, reports GHN based on Ukrinform.
This was stated by German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
"The federal chancellor said that the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the effective protection of the Russian-Ukrainian state border are key elements for a sustainable solution to the conflict," he said.
He said that Merkel and Putin had discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements of September 5.
Seibert said that Merkel had also welcomed the "compromise" that was found in the issue of free trade during trilateral talks between the EU, Russia and Ukraine. In addition, he added, the chancellor called for dialogue in this format on gas supply issues.