Obama Calls Ukrainian President Poroshenko, German Chancellor Merkel on Eve of Cease-Fire
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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — With the negotiated cease-fire set to begin at 5 p.m. ET, President Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the phone Saturday afternoon.
Obama offered his sympathy regarding “the mounting toll of the conflict in eastern Ukraine,” and about the “ongoing violence…around Debaltseve,” during his conversation with Poroshenko. The two leaders discussed the importance of ensuring the cease-fire is implemented as agreed in September 2014 in Minsk and reaffirmed this week.
Obama and Poroshenko plan to remain in touch, the White House says, as they share the belief in a lasting peace that “respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and unity.”
The U.S. President also congratulated his Ukrainian counterpart on an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on economic reforms aimed at stabilizing the nation’s economy.
President Obama called Merkel to discuss there shared opinions on the violence in eastern Ukraine. As two of the world leaders who have pushed the hardest for peace — along with French President Francois Hollande — the two agree on the importance of the cease-fire’s implementation. Obama also thanked Merkel “for her tireless efforts to bring the conflict in eastern Ukraine to an end in a manner that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and unity.”
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