French President Francois Hollande said that a trip to Ukraine on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel aimed to produce a conflict-resolution deal that would be acceptable to all parties.

"For several days Angela Merkel and I have worked on a text ... a text that can be acceptable to all," Hollande told a news conference after announcing that he and Merkel would travel to Ukraine later the same day.

He warned about risks of escalation in Ukraine: "Now we are in a war, and in a war that could be a total war."

He added that France was not in favour of Ukraine joining NATO.