Russia's Putin to Hollande, Merkel: Kiev at fault for east Ukraine violence
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, the Kremlin said on Monday, in which he said the flare-up of violence in eastern Ukraine was due to Kiev's "violent suppression" of the region. In the conversations he also commented on the importance of starting dialogue between Kiev and the pro-Russian rebel leaders in east Ukraine, the statement said. (Reporting by Thomas Grove; Editing by Dominic Evans)