Hollande, Merkel to travel to Kiev and Moscow for Ukraine talks

Journalists raise their hands to ask questions during French President Francois Hollande's news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris February 5, 2015. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Kiev on Thursday and Moscow on Friday for top level talks to make a new proposal to try to solve the Ukraine crisis, Hollande said on Thursday.

He said the trip aimed to broker a deal acceptable to all parties after previous attempts to find a diplomatic solution failed and as violence in Ukraine escalates, with a mounting civilian and military death toll.