Russia's military intervention in Syria will not save President Bashar al-Assad, French President Francois Hollande said Friday after an EU summit called for a political transition to a new leader.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was a "glimmer of hope" that Ukraine could finally head towards a political solution to ending the separatist war in the country's east.
President Vladimir Putin called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to lend an additional $3 billion to Ukraine to help the ex-Soviet country pay off its debt to Russia.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk blamed Russia's security service for last year's downing of the MH17 airliner over pro-Kremlin separatist territory in the east of the ex-Soviet state.
The French government has given the green light for the extradition of Kazakh tycoon and opposition figure Mukhtar Ablyazov to Russia, where he is accused of embezzling billions of dollars.
Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko stressed the need for legitimate elections in the country's separatist regions in order to eventually re-integrate the pro-Moscow strongholds.
President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would not deploy ground troops to Syria, where it has been conducting air strikes against what it says are Islamic State target.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter predicted Russia would soon begin suffering casualties in Syria, as Moscow dramatically ramps up its military campaign in the devastated nation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Russia that Ankara has alternatives to Moscow for building its first nuclear power plant and importing gas, as tensions rise over the Russian bombing campaign in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's bullish entry into the Syrian conflict has worked wonders for his popularity in neighbouring Iraq, where some await "Hajji Putin" like a saviour.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there had been a "troubling escalation" in Russian military activity in Syria, after Moscow dramatically expanded its air campaign.
Vladimir Putin marked his 63rd birthday dividing his attention between hockey and Syria as supporters sang his praises, comparing him to a range of heroic figures from Buddha to Batman.
Russian gas giant Gazprom said its TurkStream pipeline project with Turkey would be delayed as tensions between Moscow and Ankara peak over Russia's intervention in the Syrian conflict.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said only two Russian air strikes in Syria had targeted Islamic State jihadists and warned that Ankara would not make any concessions about the security of its borders