You're reading: Reuters: Merkel and Putin call for stronger peace effort in Ukraine, Kremlin reports

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting briefly on Sunday before the World Cup soccer final in Brazil, called for a stepping-up of peace efforts in Ukraine, Putin's spokesman said. The pair have been in regular telephone contact over the Ukraine crisis, with Merkel urging Putin to use his influence with pro-Russian separatists to help bring about an end to fighting in the east of the former Soviet republic in which hundreds of people have been killed.

Read more here.