Obama, Merkel to Discuss Ukraine, Russia in Washington Next Week

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama will discuss the situation in Ukraine and other issues of the US-German bilateral cooperation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday during her visit to Washington, White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz told journalists.

“The two leaders will discuss a range of issues including Ukraine, Russia, counterterrorism, ISIL, Afghanistan, and Iran. They will also cover economic growth, international trade, climate change and Germany’s plans for hosting the G-7 Summit in June,” Schultz said on Friday, noting that the President and the Chancellor will have a meeting in the Oval Office followed by a joint press conference and a working lunch.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande held talks in Moscow on a new plan for settling the Ukrainian crisis.

Ahead of the talks with the Russian president, Merkel confirmed that Germany will not provide weapons to Ukraine and underscored that a diplomatic solution is the only option for settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

Despite the ceasefire agreement reached by the independence supporters and Kiev in 2014, the military clashes intensified in southeastern Ukraine in the first weeks of this year. The warring sides traded blame for numerous civilian deaths.

The situation in the southeast of Ukraine deteriorated dramatically in the beginning of 2015, despite a ceasefire agreement signed at peace talks in Minsk, Belarus, in September 2014.