France, Germany seek ceasefire for eastern Ukraine

(Vatican Radio) French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew to Moscow Friday to seek a ceasefire and then a lasting peace in war-torn eastern Ukraine. Their talks began on the same day that government officials and pro-Russian separatists agreed to allow residents to flee a key railway hub. 

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos:

The French and German leaders met Russian President Vladimir Putin a day after the two spoke with Ukraine's government on how to revive the Minsk peace agreement. 

Ahead of Friday's talks, Hollande noted that the first step, a real ceasefire, had failed so far and it was time to seek a global solution. 

In separate remarks, Merkel said Germany and France would use “all our power with direct visits to Kiev and to Moscow today to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible and to fill the Minsk agreement with life. We are convinced that there is no military solution to this conflict.” 

Yet those words mean little to worried residents in government controlled Debaltseve, a key railway hub between Donetsk and Luhansk. 

ONE ROAD

Only one road leading to the town is still patrolled by Ukrainian government forces, who are nearly encircled by pro-Russian rebels. 

In the centre nearby, artillery fire can be heard. Rebels and Ukrainian government officials only agreed on a brief truce in the town itself to allow residents to leave. It is too cold in shelters, without electricity, running water or heating. Many have fled to another town and the refugees face an uncertain future.

"I leave with my sister on this bus," a man said. "But I will come back to pick up my mother, despite the shootings. She lives in a district where no vehicle dares to go." 

"Nobody knows what's happening next," he said. "Everybody leaves to the town of Artyomovsk, which is still in Ukrainian hands. The bomb shelters here are extremely cold, people are freezing down there."

Around 30 empty buses were seen heading towards Debaltseve, escorted by monitors from Europe's security organization, OSCE, to pick up more residents.