Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has spoken with French President Francois Hollande on the phone, the press service of the Ukrainian president has reported.
Poroshenko thanked Hollande for his considerable efforts in support of Ukraine. “The demonstration of unity and solidarity of the European Union is now very important to Ukraine,” he said.
Hollande praised the steps being taken by Poroshenko towards a peaceful settlement.
In the context of a new level of EU sanctions, Hollande said that these restrictive measures could be reviewed by the end of this month if there is progress in de-escalation of the situation.
The sides agreed that the indicators of such progress would be the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the release of hostages, and the establishment of control over the Ukrainian-Russian border involving the OSCE.
In order to ensure proper monitoring and verification, Poroshenko called for an increase in the composition of the OSCE special monitoring mission and the improvement of the level of its technical equipment.
Hollande agreed to continue his active participation in talks in the Normandy format (involving Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia). Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed her readiness to participate in such talks.
Top stories
Not only Russia. How populists destroy the greatness of the West Wednesday, October 4, 2023 - 06:27 (EEST)
-
