Merkel, Hollande seek more Russian deescalation in Ukraine

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and visiting French President Francois Hollande Saturday urged "more de-escalation signals" from Russia for presidential elections to take place in Ukraine.

Both leaders said Ukraine's stabilisation was an urgent task for peace and security, calling for efforts aimed at achieving a political solution to the crisis, Xinhua reported.

They stressed the importance of holding a "free and fair" presidential election in Ukraine May 25 as planned, which should take place under the observation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).