Germany, France call for de-escalation of conflict in southeastern Ukraine

Moscow [Russia], April 4 (ANI/Sputnik): Germany and France are calling on the conflicting parties in southeastern Ukraine (Donbas) to de-escalate tensions amid an increase in ceasefire violations, the German and French foreign ministries said in a joint statement.
"France and Germany are concerned about the increase in ceasefire violations, after the situation has stabilized since July 2020 in eastern Ukraine," the Saturday statement says.
According to the release, as mediators within the Normandy format, France and Germany are continuing their efforts towards the full implementation of the Minsk peace agreements on Ukraine.
"We are following the situation with great vigilance ... and call on the Parties to exercise restraint and to immediately de-escalate tensions," the German and French foreign ministries said.
A spokesperson of the militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic told reporters earlier in the day that at least one pre-school child was killed and a woman was injured as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack in Oleksandrivske on Saturday.
Ceasefire violations continue in southeastern Ukraine (Donbas), where the Ukrainian military launched a special operation against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in 2014. According to UN data, about 13,000 people have fallen victim to the Donbas conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the current situation on the contact line in Donbas is "frightening" amid many provocations made by Ukraine soldiers. (ANI/Sputnik)