Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed the crisis in his country with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso during a telephone conversation on Monday, the presidential press service said.

The two leaders exchanged views on the situation in east Ukraine and available ways to handle the ongoing tension, the press service said in a statement.

They discussed the possibility of dispatching a humanitarian mission to the restive Lugansk city under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it said.

During the phone talks, Barroso called on Kiev to set up a special coordination mechanism to help people in conflict-affected areas, adding that the European Union (EU) stood ready to provide Ukraine with 2.5 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian aid.

According to the UN estimates, the conflict so far has left over 1,500 people dead and at least 4,390 others wounded.

The Ukrainian President reaffirmed his country's commitment to end the conflict in eastern regions through political dialogue, saying that bilateral ceasefire and release of hostages are vital conditions to calm the tension.

Poroshenko and Barroso also discussed implementation of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the EU. Endi

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