You're reading: Kremlin: Putin and Merkel urge Ukraine Contact Group to meet as soon as possible

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a telephone conversation at Berlin's initiative on Oct. 24.

“As a follow-up to the Oct. 16-17 negotiations in Milan, the sides continued to discuss the situation in the area of the internal Ukrainian conflict. The president of Russia reiterated the need to de-escalate the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions primarily by enacting a viable ceasefire, ensuring security along the line of engagement between the conflicting sides and urgently extending humanitarian aid,” the Kremlin press service told.

In this context, Putin and Merkel reaffirmed the importance of holding the next meeting of the trilateral Contact Group for Ukraine as soon as possible, the press service said.

“They also reiterated the importance of securing agreements on the gas issue and expressed hope that the next round of trilateral consultations between representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the European Union, due to take place in Brussels on Oct. 29, would be productive,” it said.