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Putin, Obama discuss crisis in Ukraine

Focusing on the Ukrainian crisis, President Putin said he expected Kiev’s new government to take concrete steps to implement the Minsk agreement of February 12, 2015

MOSCOW, April 18./TASS/. In a telephone conversation on Monday, the presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, discussed the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin press service reports, noting that the conversation was initiated by the US.

Focusing on the Ukrainian crisis, President Putin said he expected Kiev’s new government to take concrete steps to implement the Minsk agreement of February 12, 2015, the Kremlin press service said

He said he expected the new government in Ukraine "to establish direct dialogue with Donbass, announce amnesty, carry out a constitutional reform and enforce the law on special status upon agreement with representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk," the press service said.

Putin and Obama also discussed other topical issues on bilateral and international agenda. In particular, Obama thanked Putin for Russia’s assistance in setting free American national Kevin Patrick Dawes, who was under arrest in Syria for illegally crossing into the country.