AP:
The German chancellor says that she and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to do all they can to end the violence in Ukraine.
Angela Merkel, speaking to reporters during a visit to Paris on Wednesday, said she spoke by telephone with Putin, and “we agreed to continue to do everything so there is no further escalation of violence in Ukraine.”
“We have decided to maintain very close contacts with Russia,” she said.
Merkel said she informed Putin of the decision to urgently send German, French and Polish foreign ministers to Ukraine.
Read the full story at the Washington Post

Reuters:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday the imminent threat of sanctions against the Ukrainian government was meant to show Kiev that the European Union is serious about the need for a return to political dialogue.
"When (EU) foreign ministers meet tomorrow in Brussels they must talk about which specific sanctions should be imposed to show we are serious that the political process must resume...," she told a news conference with French leader Francois Hollande.
Read the full story at the Irish Independent