Ukraine peace 'uncertain' after talks with Putin, but worth trying

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that prospects for peace in Ukraine are "uncertain" following talks with Vladimir Putin.

Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met with the Russian President in Moscow on Friday.

On Saturday, at the annual Munich Security Conference, she said it is uncertain whether their talks were successful, but it was worth trying. She defended borders in Europe as "inviolable."

Russia has shown disrespect for peace and territorial integrity, she said, and Moscow's actions in Ukraine stand in stark contrast to their commitments.

Changing borders by force is out of line with peace and security, and risks escalation, she said.

The French, German and Russian leaders met to begin drawing up a new proposal to end the bitter conflict in eastern Ukraine. The peace talks lasted into early Saturday. The parties will engage in further talks by phone on Sunday, the Kremlin said.

"We want to shape security with Russia, not against it," Merkel said.

The new diplomatic push comes as a worsening conflict in eastern Ukraine is taking an increasingly heavy toll on civilians.

Merkel made clear that she would not do a deal with Russia that bypasses Ukraine's leadership, saying she "will not decide anything over the heads of anyone." The solution must be in line with the Minsk agreement, she said.

Russia, Ukraine and separatist leaders signed that pact, but continued fighting has left it in shreds. It's not yet clear how the new proposal differs from the Minsk agreement.

Hollande said Thursday that the joint proposal for new negotiations would be "based upon the territorial integrity of Ukraine."

The pair hope the proposal will be acceptable to all parties in the conflict, he said. But he said that "the option of negotiation, of diplomacy, cannot be extended indefinitely."

Western leaders and Kiev accuse Russia of fostering the conflict by providing weapons and training to the pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as sending regular Russian troops over the border to fight. Moscow denies the allegations.

Civilians increasingly are falling victim to the violence, with at least 224 killed and more than 540 injured in the final three weeks of January, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said this week.