(VOVworld) – State leaders of Russia, France, and Germany have agreed to resume a ceasefire in Ukraine and conduct talks with representative groups from Ukraine’s eastern regions.

From left to right: Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande, and German Chancellor Angel Merkel at a G-20 meeting in Russia in 2013.

In a 3-way phone call on Thursday, German Chancellor Angel Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Kiev’s military campaign in south-eastern Ukraine, where more and more Ukrainian civilians are fleeing to Russia. Merkel and Hollande expressed support for Putin in calling for a new truce and seeking a political solution to the 3-month conflict. Moscow has dismissed allegations that it escalated the conflict by moving aircraft and weapons to the insurgents across the Russian border.
Alexander Lukashevich, a spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, criticised the EU’s plan to impose new sanctions on Russia, calling it an unfriendly move for EU-Russia relations.