Merkel, Macron urge Russia and Ukraine to support cease-fire

Merkel, Macron urge Russia and Ukraine to support cease-fire | iNFOnews.ca
France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, poses with German Chancellor Angela Merkel prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain are meeting with African counterparts to find ways to curb illegal migration across the Mediterranean to European shores. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

BERLIN – The leaders of Germany and France say despite renewed efforts to bring about a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, the situation “has not significantly improved.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement Monday that despite agreeing in a conference call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to support a new cease-fire attempt, there are still “countless violations,” including with heavy weapons.

Merkel and Macron “strongly urge” Putin and Poroshenko “to stick to their commitments completely, to support the cease-fire publicly and clearly and to ensure that the necessary instructions are relayed to the military and forces on the ground.”

The leaders had hoped for a lasting cease-fire timed to the new school year. Fighting has killed over 10,000 in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

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Abbey Westbury

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