Ukraine ceasefire talks set to resume

The French, German, Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers will meet in Berlin for a follow-up on the fragile ceasefire agreed in February to end a year of bloody war in eastern Ukraine, Paris has announced.

"I will be in Berlin (on Monday) evening," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters, with his press office later adding he would be attending a four-way meeting on Ukraine.

Pro-Russian separatists have waged an insurgency in Ukraine's east that has left more than 6000 people dead.

Speaking after talks in Paris with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin, Fabius said the embattled country's leader Petro Poroshenko would visit the French capital on April 22.

A ceasefire agreed in the Belarusan capital Minsk in February appears to be largely holding in Ukraine's east, despite isolated, deadly clashes.

"There has been some progress in implementing the package of February 12 Minsk measures, on the ground, for a ceasefire, despite too many violations where pulling back heavy weapons is concerned," Fabius said.