Kremlin: Putin to Talk by Phone With EU, Ukraine Leaders

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen speaking at his annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow, Dec. 18, 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold phone talks later on Monday with the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine on a political resolution to the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin's foreign policy adviser said.

“Tonight, another telephone conversation with the presidents of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine will take place, in the so-called 'Normandy-style' format,” Yuri Ushakov told journalists, referring to talks in France in June that involved Putin, Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Petro Poroshenko.

“It will focus on the current crisis situation and prospects for the next meeting of the contact group.”