Paris, Sha'ban 16, 1435, Jun 14, 2014, SPA -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande conveyed their "grave concern" over the ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the French presidency says, dpa reported. The three leaders spoke by telephone to discuss the situation after pro-Russian rebels in Luhansk shot down a Ukrainian military aircraft, killing 49 people. Merkel and Hollande stressed the importance of a ceasefire and of creating the conditions for a de-escalation, including "avoiding the supply of combatants and weapons across the [Russian/Ukrainian] border and calling on the separatists to end their combat," the presidency says in a statement. The French and German leaders also underscored the need to settle the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over Ukraine's imports of Russian gas, the statement says. -- SPA 19:35 LOCAL TIME 16:35 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1243693