MOSCOW, Sept. 15 - Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the importance of maintaining the ceasefire in Ukraine in a phone conversation on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement, Reuters reported.

"The development of the Ukraine situation has been discussed, including the meticulous maintenance of the ceasefire by the sides of the inter-Ukrainian conflict and the efficient truce monitoring on behalf of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)," the statement said.