Ukraine peace plan talks end without agreement

MOSCOW, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- High-level talks between the leaders of France and Germany, and Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal in Ukraine ended Saturday without resolution.

French President François Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Putin met in Moscow for five hours to put an end to violence that has rocked eastern Ukraine.

That in-person meeting ended with no resolution Saturday, though talks are expected to continue via phone Sunday, Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told CNN. He called the talks constructive.

The meeting took place as violence flared in Debaltseve, Ukraine, a key railway hub. Rebel fighters called a temporary cease-fire Friday and Saturday to allow civilians to leave the town.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich on Friday accused the United States and EU -- which includes France and Germany -- of using sanctions to wage an economic war against Russia.

"The use of targeted and deliberate downgrades of ratings of Russian companies and the sovereign rating of the country has become a part of the U.S. and EU economic war against us," he said.