Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, via a telephone call, conferred on the crisis in the east of Ukraine and the ways to reduce tension there.

Iran PressEurope: In the telephone conversation, Putin and Zelensky stressed the need for effective measures to establish a ceasefire in Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk regions) in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin said in a statement that the presidents of Russia and Ukraine called for more effective action within the framework of the Minsk Group, as well as for the implementation of resolutions issued by Normandy leaders.

The phone call was initiated by the Ukrainian side, the Tass news agency reported

Ukraine has been the scene of clashes between the government and the opposition in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk since April 2014 following a Western-backed coup against the then government.

The parties to the conflict (the opposition and the Ukrainian government) signed a ceasefire agreement in Minsk in September 2014 for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the region.

In February 2015, representatives of the Normandy member states (Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany) signed the new Minsk 2 agreement, which has been repeatedly violated by the parties involved.

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