In response to the issues raised by the leaders of France and Germany regarding the humanitarian situation on the territory of the military operation to protect Donbass, Vladimir Putin informed them of the real situation on the ground. In particular, the Russian leader cited multiple facts of gross violations of the international humanitarian law by the Ukrainian army and police: extrajudicial killings of dissenters, hostage taking and the use of civilians as human shields, deployment of heavy weaponry in residential areas, in proximity to hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and so on. At the same time, nationalist battalions regularly sabotage rescue operations and threaten civilians when they attempt to evacuate. Vladimir Putin urged Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz to influence Kiev authorities so as to stop such criminal acts.
The President of Russia gave a detailed account of the series of talks held via videoconference by Russian and Ukrainian representatives over the past days. In this connection the three countries’ leaders reviewed some issues pertaining to the agreements being worked out concerning the implementation of the earlier Russian demands.
The leaders agreed to continue their contacts on Ukrainian issues.