Ukraine: Western Leaders Push for Peace

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met with Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Thursday, in hopes of negotiating a new peace plan to end an upsurge of fighting in eastern Ukraine. Merkel and Hollande made no comment following the meeting and details of the plan remain unclear, but Poroshenko said earlier that it could potentially mean a call for a quick ceasefire. The meeting comes as resurgent fighting killed eight people in eastern Ukraine, sparking concern over Europe’s security. More than 5,300 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in April. Merkel and her French counterpart will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Moscow.