Hollande Says Ukraine Peace Talks to Resume Sunday, or Monday

Peace talks between Ukraine's leaders and Kremlin-backed rebels could take place Sunday or Monday in the Belarussian capital Minsk in the presence of Russian and OSCE envoys, French President Francois Hollande said.

These talks will "happen on Sunday or Monday," Hollande said after an EU summit on Thursday, referring to the peace talks that will take place between the rebels and the Ukrainian government delegates in Minsk.

Hollande said that he, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would resume telephone talks they had on Tuesday.

Poroshenko said Wednesday he hoped there would be a meeting in Minsk of the contact group, which is negotiating with the rebels the implementation of a peace plan signed in September.