Ukrainian President Zelensky holds telephone conversation with Merkel
Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk said that the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held the fifth telephone conversation. There is an extremely friendly, trusting personal contact between the two leaders, and it is our most powerful political weapon for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine," said Melnyk.
The Ukrainian President's Office stated that Merkel has a consistent position on sanctions against Russia.
"Angela Merkel stressed the firmness of the German position in support of Ukraine to restore the peace in the Donbas. She said she would use upcoming talks with the partners in the Normandy format to reach an agreement on the date of the summit," reports Zelensky's office.
Zelensky also informed Merkel about a situation in the Donbas. They discussed the withdrawal of forces near Petrovske and Zolote, as well as the progress of work on the restoration of the bridge near Stanytsia Luhanska.
Earlier, it was reported that the EU could partially lift sanctions against Russia if the progress is achieved in Normandy Four negotiations.
At the same time, the Normandy Four meeting is not yet confirmed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said that Russia is looking for reasons not to hold a Normandy Four meeting. The Kremlin states that Russia is "interested" in holding the summit.