Mr Putin, Ms Merkel and Mr Hollande continued their discussion on the crisis in southeast Ukraine, stressed the need for full and strict implementation of the 12 February 2015 Minsk agreements and noted the importance of preventing any further escalation of the situation.
Mr Putin expressed concern over the intensive shelling of settlements in Donbass by Ukrainian troops and repeated Russia’s position that a political and diplomatic settlement of the internal Ukrainian conflict in accordance with the Minsk agreement’s provisions is the only possible option.
The three leaders affirmed their common desire to activate negotiation efforts on Ukraine, especially through the Normandy format and the Contact Group.
The three leaders also exchanged views on the outcome of the NATO summit in Warsaw and expressed mutual desire to pursue constructive dialogue and take concrete steps to strengthen confidence between Russia and NATO.