Merkel and Hollande to meet Putin with plan to end Ukraine war

Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are travelling to Kiev and Moscow with a new peace initiative, amid a flurry of diplomacy to end what has been described as “a war on Europe’s edge”. The German Chancellor and French President’s proposal is “based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine”, and is in response to the deepening humanitarian crisis in villages on the frontline of the conflict.

Ukraine is at war. Heavy weapons are being used and civilians are being killed daily.

France president Francois Hollande

A spokesman for the Kremlin confirmed that President Putin would meet with the two European leaders on Friday to discuss “the fastest possible end to the civil war in south eastern Ukraine”. Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of arming rebels in eastern Ukraine and sending regular troops across the border but Russia denies this. Kerry is in Kiev to hold talks with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk as the U.S. considers whether to send weapons to help Ukraine fight the pro-Russian rebels.

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