German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed to the Russian government yesterday to use its influence on separatists in eastern Ukraine to implement a ceasefire plan agreed in Minsk in September aimed at ending the conflict.
Planned talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to further the ceasefire arrangements have not yet taken place.
“(Merkel said) A stabilisation of the situation can only come if the agreed contact lines are finally implemented,” said a spokeswoman in a statement.
“She appealed to the Russian government to use its influence on the separatists to this end,” said the spokeswoman.
