BERLIN, July 09, /ITAR-TASS/. In a telephone conversation on Wednesday with participation of the Ukrainian and French presidents, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed hope consultations of the contact group on the Ukrainian crisis would be held with participation of militia to have ceasefire on both sides achieved and a peace plan implemented, the press service of the German government said.
The German chancellor and French President Francois Hollande once again “urged Russia to use its influence on separatists and not to allow a flow of weapons and gunmen” into the east of Ukraine, the press service said.
The contact group consists of representatives of Russia, the OSCE, the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, and Ukraine.
Hundreds of people have been killed, buildings destroyed and tens of thousands forced to flee Ukraine to Russia as a result of Kiev’s military operation against federalization supporters in Ukraine’s embattled southeast involving armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation, which has been conducted since mid-April.
Fierce military attacks of the pro-Kiev forces on the country’s southeastern regions resumed after Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko decided to end the 10-day ceasefire in the southeast on June 30. There were numerous reports that the truce had been repeatedly violated by Kiev.