"It is necessary to immediately stop the war. To stop killing civilians, it is necessary to take action. This is a very, very important meeting, a meeting full of hope. I cannot say that this is the last chance, but close to it," Orlov said on the Europe1 radio station.
The ambassador added that the three leaders and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had regular telephone talks in preparation for the meeting.
Hollande announced his plans to visit Moscow during a press conference on Thursday morning. The French president said he and the German chancellor aim to reach an agreement suitable for all parties to the conflict during the visits to the Ukrainian and Russian capitals.
According to Hollande, the new proposals on the Ukrainian crisis settlement will be based on "maintaining the territorial integrity" of the country.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday the Kremlin hopes that the German and French leaders will propose a "comprehensive way to resolve the crisis, which would include long-term measures."
The meeting comes amid a dramatic deterioration of the situation in southeastern Ukraine in recent weeks and reports that Washington is considering supplying lethal aid to Kiev.
#Ukraine: Chancellor #Merkel and President @fhollande in #Kyiv trying to find a solution to the conflict. pic.twitter.com/gDTKKcUejh MT @Elysee
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) 5 февраля 2015
