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                   Putin: Ukraine Not Interested in Dialogue

   by VOA News

   Russian President Vladimir Putin says he does not see a desire by the
   Ukrainian government to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine through
   dialogue.

   He spoke Friday in the southern Russian city of Sochi following a phone
   call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

   Merkel's office said she stressed the need for full implementation of
   the cease-fire agreement reached between pro-Russian separatists and
   Ukraine's government in September.

   The Kremlin, for its part, said Putin during the phone call emphasized
   the need to "de-escalate" the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk
   regions, ensuring security along the line separating the opposing sides
   and providing humanitarian assistance.

   Also Friday, Putin accused the United States of endangering global
   security by - in his words - upsetting the international system of
   "checks and balances."

   Washington and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russia for its
   annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March and for
   supporting the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.

   On Friday, NATO's military commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip
   Breedlove, was quoted by Reuters as saying some Russian forces remain
   inside Ukraine despite a partial withdrawal.

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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-says-ukraine-not-interested-in-
   dialogue/2495278.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-says-ukraine-not-interested-in-dialogue/2495278.html