MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need for Kiev to hold direct dialogue with Ukraine's troubled Donbass region in a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande, the Kremlin press service said Friday.
"Vladimir Putin once again stressed that the most important condition for the settlement [of the conflict] is the establishment of direct dialogue between Kiev authorities and representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk, including in the framework of the Contact Group," the press service said in a statement.
The four leaders stressed the need for full compliance with the Minsk peace agreements, according to the Kremlin.
"Problems regarding the supply of Russian gas to Ukraine were also discussed," the statement reads.
