Trump Endorses Franco-German Efforts To Broker Peace Deal In Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House last month

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for efforts led by Germany and France to negotiate a resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the White House said on April 24.

In a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump endorsed her efforts along with French President Francois Hollande to negotiate with their counterparts in Russia and Ukraine "a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk agreement."

The Minsk agreement established a cease-fire between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in the east and outlined a process for attaining peace, but it has never fully been followed.

In addition to Ukraine, Trump and Merkel discussed the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and the "urgent security challenge posed by North Korea" during their phone conversation, the White House said.