Zelensky, Merkel discuss troop pullback in E. Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed new areas for troop pullback in the country's east with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a telephone conversation, the president's office said on Tuesday.

The two leaders discussed determining three additional areas for the troop pullback along the contact line in Donbas, and also expressed hope for progress during the Trilateral Contact Group's meeting in Minsk on Wednesday.

The contact group includes representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Merkel expressed concern about ceasefire violations. The ceasefire was agreed upon during a meeting in Paris on Dec. 9, 2019.

Zelensky emphasized the need to ensure access for international humanitarian organizations, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, to persons held in the occupied territories.