KIEV, October 7 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed on the phone the process of peaceful settlement of the situation in the southeastern Ukraine, Poroshenko's press service reported Monday.
"Petro Poroshenko and Angela Merkel have discussed the peace process in the Donbas region. The parties stated that the lack of steady progress with the implementation of the Minsk agreement, as well as continued attacks by militants threaten the peace plan," according to the statement.
The Ukrainian president thanked Merkel for humanitarian aid and noted that 112 trucks from Germany had already crossed the border and headed to Kiev.
The two leaders also noted that the conduct of elections in the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics must be held in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, and in the context of sustainable ceasefire.
Kiev authorities and independence supporters aligned positions on a ceasefire and a number of issues, including the status of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on September 5 in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, through the mediation of Russia and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Following the Minsk protocol, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, approved a law, granting special status to parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on September 16. The law introduces self-administration and guarantees the right to use Russian language.
Later in September, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the Kiev government will recognize the local elections in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region only if the vote meets international standards and is monitored by observers.
