Key diplomatic meetings have taken place against the backdrop of D-Day commemorations.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin held face to face talks with Petro Poroshenko for the first time since his election as Ukraine’s new president.
Meeting at the Chateau de Benouville in Normandy where international leaders had lunch, they reportedly shook hands. They also called for a halt to the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine, according to Russian media, citing the Kremlin. The short meeting came as deadly violence continued on the ground.
The lunch was also a chance for brief talks between President Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama. It was far from sure that the pair would meet, given the acute tension over Ukraine.
