Germany hosts Ukraine summit, also expected to discuss Syria
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The leaders of Russia, Ukraine and France headed to Berlin Wednesday for four-way talks hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that aimed to revive the stalled peace process in eastern Ukraine. The summit was expected also to touch on Syria and Russia's role in the conflict there.
Prospects of significant progress on either front look poor. "We certainly can't expect miracles" on Ukraine or Syria, Merkel said ahead of the meeting , but that she wanted to exhaust every possibility of progress.
Merkel and Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Francois Hollande of France and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine have met sporadically to discuss eastern Ukraine. This is the first time the four have met in more than a year. The 2015 Minsk agreement brokered by France and Germany has helped end large-scale battles between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists, but clashes have continued and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled.
