Putin asks Merkel to influence Ukraine toward peaceful settlement in Donbas in accordance with Minsk Agreements

19:15, 20.08.2021 1 min read

Ukraine is giving the impression that it has abandoned efforts to resolve the conflict in the country's east peacefully, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after asking German Chancellor Angela Merkel to make use of her influence on Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on August 22.

"Also alarming is that Ukraine has passed a whole host of laws and regulations which essentially contravene the Minsk Agreements. The impression is that this country's leadership has decided to generally renounce a peaceful resolution of the situation," Putin told a press conference following talks with Merkel in Moscow on Friday.

Earlier, Putin said that during their talks today, he and Merkel expressed concern over the rising tension on the contact line in eastern Ukraine.

"In view of this, we have asked the federal chancellor once again, including during her upcoming visit to Kyiv, to press Ukraine to fulfill all its obligations," Putin said.