Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s newly elected leader Petro Poroshenko have held face-to-face talks for the first time since Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March.<br /><br />French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are reported to have brought the two leaders together for the brief meeting.<br /><br />“We sat down at the table and talked for some 15 minutes. I can’t say it was a detailed conversation but nevertheless we touched on the main issues related to the current situation and to the development of our economic ties. I support the position of Mr. Poroshenko that the bloodshed must stop immediately in the east of Ukraine. He has a plan of how to do that but you’d better ask him about that.”<br /><br />Putin then had an equally short meeting with US President Barack Obama. According to a White House official, Obama urged him to recognise Poroshenko as Ukraine’s leader and to end the supply of arms to pro-Russian separatists.<br /><br />French officials have reportedly been plotting to use the D-Day anniversary to ease growing tensions over the crisis in Ukraine.<br /><br />The office of Francois Hollande has said talks on a ceasefire between Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists could begin within days.
