(VOVworld) – French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek ways to save the fragile cease fire in Ukraine during a phone conversation on Wednesday. According to a statement release by the Elysee Palace, Hollande and Merkel called on President Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko to work together for a mechanism to supervise the ceasefire.

Ukraine's army soldiers at a check-point near a city of Slovyansk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine on June 24, 2014. Photo: internet

The Ukraine’s President Office said the 4 leaders would continue to discuss a number of ideas proposed by Ms. Merkel, which observers said is hard to get the Kremlin’s approval. The proposals will allow the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to send their observers to the border between Ukraine and Russia, as well as to the pro -federalization forces’ check-points in eastern Ukraine. Mr. Merkel also suggested a prisoner exchange between the Ukrainian government and the Eastern militia.

The same day, the US announced it had drafted new sanctions for Russia if Moscow does not carry out steps to defuse tensions with Ukraine. The move is said to respond to Russia’s support for pro-federalization forces in Ukraine.