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1st LEAD Hollande, Merkel to visit Kiev on noon to fix Ukrainian crisis

Xinhua, February 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

French President Francosi Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were due to fly to Kiev in a new attempt to resolve peacefully Ukrainian crisis amid rising tensions in the region, Hollande told reporters on Thursday.

"Ukraine is in war. Heavy weapons are used, and civilians are killed every day. I decided, with Angela Merkel, to take a new initiative. We go to Kiev this afternoon," the president said.

The two leaders, who brokered a first ice-breaking meeting with Ukrainian and Russian leaders in June 2014, planned to discuss their new proposal with Ukrainian President Petro Porechenko later in the day and with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Hollande also said that he would not support Ukraine's entry into NATO. Endi