Germany says fighting in eastern Ukraine "worrying"

Germany is worried about an upsurge in fighting in eastern Ukraine but it is not clear whether there is any link between the violence and an upcoming G7 summit to which Russia is not invited, a senior German official said on Thursday.

Asked at a briefing whether Russia might be stoking trouble in Ukraine ahead of the summit, the official, who requested anonymity, cited "heavy violations" of a ceasefire, calling the exchanges "worrying".