(VOVworld) – Western leaders on Wednesday increased their pressures on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to implement a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko visits the headquarters of anti-terrorist operation near Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast, on July 8.   (Photo: Anastasia Vlasova)

In a 3-way phone conversation, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Poroshenko to pursue a political solution to the Ukraine crisis. Poroshenko promised to use military restraint to minimize civilian casualties. But he said Moscow showed no goodwill to defuse tensions in Ukraine.

Fighting is escalating in Donetsk and Lugansk, where Kiev says it controls all entrances to the two cities. Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey said the Ukrainian government will not negotiate with the opposition until the rebels lay down their arms.

A European diplomat said the EU has agreed to add 11 more individuals to the blocked-assets list and ban them from travel. All sanctions are to take effect on July 12^th.