Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel. France and Germany on Monday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian opposite number to ensure that a new ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is enforced, warning there has been little let-up in the violence. "We urge President Putin and President (Petro) Poroshenko to fully abide by their commitments, publicly endorse the ceasefire and ensure that proper instructions have been passed on to the military and forces deployed on the ground." The ceasefire between government forces and pro-Russian separatists was intended to come into force before the start of the new school year. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict since 2014, when pro-Russian forces occupied parts of eastern Ukraine and Moscow annexed Crimea.

Source: The Local August 29, 2017 06:56 UTC