Ceasefire, direct talks a must for settlement in eastern Ukraine, Putin tells Obama
MOSCOW. June 23 (Interfax) - President Vladimir Putin has discussed the crisis in Ukraine in telephone talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, the Kremlin press service reported on Monday.
"There was an in-depth discussion of various aspects of the acute political crisis in Ukraine and prospects of settlement, including implementation of the peace plan, proposed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko," the Kremlin press service said.
"Putin made a point that real ceasefire and the beginning of direct talks between the conflicting parties would be of priority importance for normalization in southeastern Ukraine," it said.
The importance of immediate measures to solve humanitarian problems, including emergency aid to civilians, was discussed, as well," the Kremlin press service said.
The telephone talks between Putin and Obama were held in accordance with an earlier reached agreement, it said.