EU Leaders Visit Ukraine and Russia to Propose New Peace Plan

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. File photo

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to travel to Ukraine and Russia on Thursday and Friday in order to propose a new peace plan.

Hollande revealed at a pressconference on Thursday that the new peace proposal is based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which could be acceptable to all, the BBC reports.

The French President and the German Chancellor are to present the new initiative to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during their visit to Kiev on Thursday.

Then, on Friday the two European leaders head to Moscow, where they are to continue the discussion of the new arrangement at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin is to meet with Merkel and Hollande on Friday in an attempt to achieve a speedy end to the civil war in Ukraine, TASS agency reports.

These developments come as Poroshenko had requested supplies of advanced weaponry from NATO.

The Alliance is holding a meeting of its defence ministers on Thursday, at which the Ukrainian crisis is to feature prominently on the agenda.

Meanwhile, US State Secretary John Kerry visited Ukraine on Thursday as a demonstration of support towards the government in Kiev.

Kerry's visit comes after it emerged that the US considers providing direct military assistance to the Ukrainian army.

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