President of Russia Vladimir Putin, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a summit in Paris on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and seek a way to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and the implementation of the Minsk agreements that envisage a ceasefire, hostage release, withdrawal of armed forces, and the creation of autonomous regions in the war-torn country.
An armed conflict in Ukraine erupted in 2014 after mass protests in Kiev led to a violent coup d'état in Kiev, with president Yanukovich fleeing the country.
In response, Donetsk and Lugansk regions refused to recognise the new government and proclaimed their independence via referendums. Kyiv then started a military operation against the breakaway regions, sending its army and paramilitary forces to the southeast of the country.
