BERLIN (REUTERS) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday, with the aim of restarting talks with separatists on a ceasefire, Merkel's spokesman said.

"The Chancellor expressed her hope that talks of the contact group will finally commence again with participation from the separatists in order to discuss a mutual ceasefire and the implementation of the peace plan," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.

Seibert added that Merkel and Hollande had called on Russia to use its influence over the pro-Russian separatists to stop weapons and fighters flowing into Ukraine from Russia.