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Hollande and Merkel submit new security proposals on Donbass to Putin

Vladimir Putin has held telephone talks with the French and German counterparts to express his concern over the intensive shelling by Ukrainian troops of the populated localities in Donbass

© EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT

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Putin tells Merkel, Hollande about his concern with shellings in Donbass

PARIS, July 13 /TASS/. French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have submitted new security proposals on Donbass to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the French president’s press service said on Wednesday after a trilateral telephone conversation.

The Kremlin press service reported earlier on Wednesday that Putin had talked to the French and German counterparts to express his concern over the intensive shelling by Ukrainian troops of the populated localities in Donbass. He stressed there could be no alternative to the political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis in compliance with the Minsk-2 package of measures.

"They confirmed their common determination to step up negotiating efforts on the Ukrainian problem, particularly in the "Normandy four" and the "Contact Group" formats," the Kremlin said. The sides stressed the need of full and rigorous implementation of the Minsk -2 package of measures adopted on February 12, 2015.

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