Ukraine urged to extend ceasefire that expires today

Moscow, June 30: Leaders of

, Germany and France urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to extend the ceasefire that will expire on Monday in a teleconference held on Sunday, the Kremlin press service said.

"The leaders stressed the necessity to make such contacts regular. They called on Poroshenko to extend the ceasefire regime for a longer period," it said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande also hailed the release of observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe mission in Ukraine, Xinhua reported.

The leaders also discussed issues related to Ukraine's signing of the association agreement with the European Union on Friday in their tele conference.

IANS