The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France stressed in a phone call on Thursday the need to ensure that a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is sustained, the Kremlin said in a statement, according to Reuters. Russia's Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande also said they were ready to actively support the work of the OSCE mission in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement published on its website. "The four leaders stressed the need to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire, the implementation of practical steps to withdraw heavy weapons by the opposing sides as well as the speedy release of prisoners," the Kremlin said.
