CRI听力:New Peace Initiative for Ukraine Conflict

The leaders of France and Germany have put forward a new peace plan to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are in Kiev to discuss the plan with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Observers are suggesting the move is being made in an attempt to head-off any US plans to deliver offensive weapons to Ukraine.

Poroshenko says the talks with French and German leaders gives him "strong hopes" that a ceasefire can be reached.

"And the fact that you today (are) here and we can have these negotiations, it is... gives me some strong hopes that we will reach the results, bring the ceasefire, have promotion as a progress in the process of the peace and that can help us a lot in reaching the agreement about the ceasefire."

Hollande and Merkel are due to travel to Moscow later on this Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Their time in Kiev has coincided with that of US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"There must be an immediate commitment, now, to a real ceasefire which is not just a piece of paper and words, but which is followed up by specific actions."

Kerry has told Ukrainian officials US President Barack Obama is still "reviewing all options" when it comes to the situation in Ukraine.

Right now the US is only providing non-lethal assistance to Kiev.

However, the possibility of increased US military assistance to the Ukrainian government is starting to create waves in Moscow.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich.

"We can state that Washington's actions intentionally lead Russia-US relations into a deadlock, and it will take a very long time to find a way out. But this seems to be the choice of the US administration, and it will have to take full responsibility for it."

NATO is among those expressing concern about the possibility of the US providing offensive weapons to Ukraine.

NATO commander Philip Breedlove is warning any-such move could trigger a more strident reaction from Russia.

Germany's foreign minister has likened the option to "throwing more weapons on the bonfire".