Roundup: Normandy talks agree roadmap to peace in eastern Ukraine

The leaders of the so-called Normandy format group comprising Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France have agreed on a new roadmap for peace in eastern Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after several hours of discussions on Thursday morning.

The leaders of the Normandy format group met on Wednesday evening for talks over implementation of the Minsk agreement for eastern Ukraine in Berlin, including how to work on its security and political aspects.

At the joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande, Merkel noted that Germany and France would continue to support the Minsk process to bring a more stable condition to eastern Ukraine.

"That is one of the difficult tasks we still have to tackle," said Merkel, adding it was worth the effort.

Following the discussions, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and called on Russia to ensure a lasting ceasefire in Aleppo.

According to Merkel, it was a "very clear and harsh debate." The bombardment in Aleppo is inhuman and a "cruel experience" for the population, she said.

The current armistice must be a starting point to enable humanitarian supplies to Aleppo and its surrounding areas, Merkel added.

Meanwhile, Putin announced his readiness to prolong a ceasefire in Syria under the condition that armed groups in Aleppo also agree to the ceasefire.

Putin demanded more efforts from the United States to separate moderate government opponents in Syria from terrorist organizations.

In negotiations with Merkel and Hollande, he also proposed to push ahead work on a new Syrian constitution and possible new elections.

Hollande said a political process on the future of Syria can be initiated only when a lasting ceasefire and supplies to the civilian population have been achieved.

The leaders of the Normandy format group have undertaken repeated high-level phone contacts over the Ukraine conflict in recent days.

The format of negotiations got the Normandy name after French and German leaders succeeded to convince Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to join negotiations during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the landing of the Allied forces that contributed to the liberation of Europe from fascism.

The Minsk peace agreement, aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, was reached by the leaders of the Normandy group in February 2015 in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. However, the peace treaty has not been fully implemented. Endit