Vladimir Putin has expressed the hope that a new ceasefire deal in eastern Ukraine will be reached soon.

Vladimir Putin has expressed the hope that a new ceasefire deal in eastern Ukraine will be reached soon.

His comment comes after talks with the French president Francois Hollande who made an unscheduled short visit to Moscow to discuss the conflict.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Putin said that while both sides in the Ukrainian conflict are not fulfilling all their obligations, the situation there gives hope for improvement in the near future.