Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has informed his German and French counterparts Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius on a considerable escalation of the situation in Donbas in a telephone conversation on Monday evening, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service said.

Klimkin accused Russian-backed militants of organizing provocations that "are a deliberate attempt to torpedo the negotiations aimed at withdrawing arms smaller than 100 mm in caliber and at the de-escalation of the situation surrounding the village of Shyrokyne [near the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol]," the press service said in a statement.

Ukraine's partners confirmed that they share Kyiv's concerns and expressed readiness to initiate consultations with Russia soon in order to prevent a negative development of the situation, the statement reads.

The parties also reached an agreement that following contacts of Berlin and Paris with Moscow decisions on possible further steps in the Normandy Four format, including telephone conferences and personal meetings of representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, will be approved, the press service said.