BERLIN (AFP) - The president-elect of Ukraine told a German newspaper on Wednesday that he planned to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to "ease" the crisis in Ukraine.

"We will hold talks with Putin in order to ease the situation and make peace. When and where these talks will take place, is not yet decided," Mr Petro Poroshenko told the Bild daily.

He was responding to a question on whether direct talks with Putin were planned for next week's D-Day commemorations in France to which both he and the Russian leader are invited.

French officials announced earlier on Wednesday that President Francois Hollande had invited the Ukrainian president-elect to join the 70th anniversary commemorations of D-Day.

Mr Putin, US President Barack Obama, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are also due to attend the June 6 ceremonies in Normandy.

"We are very happy about the possibility to be able to take part in this special event in France," Mr Poroshenko told Thursday's Bild, according to excerpts released ahead of publication.

He added he had already received several invitations to make state visits and said his first official foreign trip would be to Poland.