French and German political leaders took a new peace initiative for Ukraine on the road Thursday, traveling together toUkraine’s capital, Kiev, then to Russia’s capital, Moscow.  The trip of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande is happening as separatists advance on a railway hub defended by Ukrainian troops.

After meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday, Merkel and Hollande will get together with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The schedule was announced as international voices express concerns that the U.S. is sounding more likely than ever to provide lethal aid to Ukraine. As well, NATO has created a “quick-reaction force” of 5,000 soldiers to counter Russia’s increased military in Ukraine.

In Kiev on Thursday was U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry; however, he announced no plans to go to Russia later. President Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, recently said that he is in favor of arming Ukraine’s military forces. Supplying the Ukrainian military with arms, he said, is something he would “very much incline” toward.

Peace talks in Minsk, Belarus fell apart last weekend and, as a result, the European Union is expected to quickly push new and hard economic sanctions against Russia. As for the meeting in Kiev, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said steps were discussed that would fire up an agreement from September that requires a cease-fire, international monitoring of the Russia-Ukraine border, and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from both sides.

Fighting recently ended the lives of eight more people in eastern Ukraine and fears are mounting that the extended conflict may now be a threat to the overall security of Europe. In other words, war involving many more countries. Since the fighting began in Ukraine in April, more than 5,300 people have been killed.

In preparation for the current shuttle diplomacy, Hollande said that he and Merkel have been working on an agreement “that can be acceptable to all.” He warned that the war in Ukraine could escalate into “a total war.”

NATO says Russia has frustrated eastern Ukraine’s five-month old peace by delivering soldiers, weapons, and money to the separatist rebels. Moscow denies being involved in the fighting while, at the same time, referring to the area as “New Russia”.