RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and expressed concern about the violence in Ukraine while pressing for implementation of a ceasefire agreement, the White House said.
“The president spoke with Ukrainian President Poroshenko today to express his sympathy for the mounting toll of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and his deep concern about the ongoing violence, particularly in and around Debaltseve,” the White House said in a statement about the call with the Ukrainian leader.
In his call with Merkel, who helped broker the latest ceasefire pact, Obama thanked the German leader for her work.
“They also agreed on the pressing need for all signatories to implement the ceasefire and protocol agreements reached at Minsk last September and reaffirmed by the Minsk Implementation Plan this week,” the White House said.
Obama is in California for a short vacation.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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