Merkel, Hollande, Ukraine's Poroshenko hold call on talks for ceasefire

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday, with the aim of restarting talks with separatists on a ceasefire, Merkel's spokesman said. "The Chancellor expressed her hope that talks of the contact group will finally commence again with participation from the separatists in order to discuss a mutual ceasefire and the implementation of the peace plan," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement. Seibert added that Merkel and Hollande had called on Russia to use its influence over the pro-Russian separatists to stop weapons and fighters flowing into Ukraine from Russia.

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