Obama, Merkel want Russia held accountable for violence in Ukraine

Members of the armed forces of Ukraine attend the funeral of a Ukrainian serviceman, who was killed while taking part in battles at the airport of Donetsk, in Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov, January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Nikolai Ryabchenko

BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed their concern about Russia's role in rising violence in eastern Ukraine in a phone call late on Tuesday and agreed on the need for funds to stabilise the Ukrainian economy.

The White House said both leaders were worried about "Russia's materiel support for the separatists" and its failure to uphold a ceasefire agreement signed last September in Minsk.