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Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday expressed hope that Ukrainian authorities would stop violence and start a national dialogue without delay, Xinhua reported.
Citing telephone conversations between Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, the Kremlin press service said: "In particular, Putin voiced serious concerns about the military operation that Kiev is continuing in the southeastern part of Ukraine."
The leaders also discussed the failure of talks on settling the Ukrainian debt for Russian gas supplies and its possible consequences for Europe's economy and energy security, it said.
