Merkel invites Putin to talks in Berlin aimed at Ukraine resolution

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited Russian president Vladimir Putin to Berlin this week in an attempt to come to an agreement over trouble in Ukraine.

Tensions between Russia and the West are particularly fraught at the moment due to Russia's involvement in the Syria conflict, with many European leaders promising sanctions against Putin's government.

Also invited to the meeting are French President Francois Hollande, and Ukraine President Petro Porshenko.

Trouble broke out between Ukrainian forces and Russian backed separatists in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea, with fighting continuing ever since.

Merkel has spoken of her hope that the meeting will be able to cool tensions with Russia at a time when relations are at a long-time low.

"The situation has become even more disastrous there and that is clearly because of Syrian and Russian air attacks which have hit helpless people, hospitals, doctors," Merkel said of Syria.

Russia and Ukraine both have attributed responsibility to each other for the lack of progress in negotiations.