Germany hosts Ukraine summit, also expected to discuss Syria

German Chancellor Angela Merkel waits in the foyer of the chancellery for the arrival of Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela for talks in Berlin, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (The Associated Press)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Business Russia Congress in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. Putin said that Russia would offer more freedom to private business to help offset the impact of Western sanctions.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, pool) (The Associated Press)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel leads the weekly cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (The Associated Press)

BERLIN – The leaders of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France will hold a summit in Berlin for talks on the stagnant peace process in eastern Ukraine — a meeting that also is expected to touch on Syria's civil war.

Prospects of significant progress on either front look poor, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said before Wednesday evening's meeting that it's important to exhaust every possibility.

Merkel and Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Francois Hollande of France and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine have met sporadically to discuss eastern Ukraine. This is their first meeting in over a year.

The 2015 Minsk agreement brokered by France and Germany has helped end large-scale battles between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists, but clashes have continued.