JULIE PACE
AP White House Correspondent

BENOUVILLE, France (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has met informally with Ukraine’s President-elect Petro Poroshenko on the sidelines of D-Day commemorations in France.

It’s the first meeting between the two leaders since Poroshenko was elected to head Ukraine. It comes during a week of intense diplomacy aimed at resolving the crisis in Ukraine.

The brief interaction took place after world leaders gathering for the commemoration posed for a group photo. After the photo, most of the leaders walked into a nearby building for a lunch. But Putin, Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel stayed outside the door and chatted in a threesome.

Reporters observing the encounter couldn’t hear the conversation. The animated conversation lasted about a minute.

No plans have been announced for a longer, formal meeting between Putin and Poroshenko.

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