KIEV, July 6 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday assured President Petro Poroshenko that the country’s position will be respected during upcoming discussions with Russia of the conflict in Donbas.

Poroshenko and Merkel spoke by phone ahead of the G20 meeting in Hamburg where the discussions will take place on Friday. Ukraine is not part of G20 and will not attend the meeting, but Russian President Vladimir Putin will.