The three leaders discussed the crisis in the southeast of Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, in view of the meeting of the Contact group and its subgroups in Minsk on August 27, 2015.
Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande spoke of the outcome of their recent meeting in Berlin with the President of Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin expressed concern over the continuing shelling by Ukrainian security forces of urban areas in Donbass and the build-up of Ukraine’s military forces along the demarcation line. He stressed the need to establish direct dialogue between Kiev and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk and to lift the financial and economic siege of Donbass. The Russian President said that there is no alternative to a political settlement of the conflict on the basis of full implementation of the Minsk agreements, stressing the importance of holding a constitutional reform in Ukraine that would be coordinated with Donetsk and Lugansk.
In the course of their conversation, the parties exchanged views on matters pertaining to regional elections to be held in Ukraine in autumn of 2015. They also discussed the main aspects of further work in the Normandy format, including talks between foreign ministers and preparations for the next summit.