CRI听力:New Round of Diplomatic Moves on Ukraine

Foreign Ministers from Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany have met in Paris to discuss the Ukraine crisis.

The new round of diplomatic efforts aims to stop a spike in fighting in eastern Ukraine between rebels and government forces.

The meeting comes as the Ukrainian military accuses rebels of conducting long-range artillery attacks on villages in the east.

Both sides accuse the other of regularly violating the ceasefire deal signed in Minsk.

A surge in violence in the past few weeks has caused international monitors to warn of a wider escalation of the conflict.

German Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is calling for the Minsk agreement, which includes a cease-fire, to be respected.

"No one, neither France nor Germany can handle the situation instead of the parties involved in the conflict. The parties involved in the conflict have to put in practice the Minsk agreement by themselves."

Meanwhile in Minsk, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have also held talks on the Ukraine conflict.

No concrete results were achieved at the meeting.

Fighting between Ukrainian forces and rebels has killed more than 6,400 people over the past 14 months.