Putin, Merkel discuss Ukraine, coronavirus via phone

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed Ukrainian settlement and the fight against coronavirus pandemic during a telephone talk Wednesday.

The two leaders stressed the necessity of international efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 with an active role for the World Health Organization, according to the Kremlin.

The novel virus has spread to 185 countries and regions since emerging in China last December.

More than 2.6 million infections have been reported worldwide, with the death toll nearing 180,000, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Turning to Ukrainian settlement, Putin and Merkel urged Kiev to implement political aspects of the Minsk agreements.

At the last summit of the Normandy Four -- Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine -- in Paris last December, the leaders approved several steps to push the peace process in Ukraine.

Parties to the conflict agreed to a full exchange of prisoners, which was conducted in December.

Other actions which were supposed to be finished by the end of March, were not carried out, including the withdrawal of troops from three disengagement points and defining conditions that will allow local elections in the eastern Ukrainian territory.