Russia must do everything to end Ukraine violence, France says

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a telephone call on Friday that Moscow should do everything to ensure an end to the recent escalation in eastern Ukraine.

Calling the situation "worrying", Ayrault said it was vital to use the Normandy negotiating format that includes Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France to reach a long-term solution between Moscow and Ukraine in the eastern Donbass region.

"He (Ayrault) called on his Russian counterpart to do everything to end the situation in order to firstly enable humanitarian aid to reach the civilian population," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.