After a week of travel in the Middle East, US secretary of state John Kerry has changed course and arrived in Paris for talks with his Russian counterpart on the Ukraine crisis.

Halfway home from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr Kerry landed in Shannon, Ireland, for a refuelling stop, when he decided to turn his plane around and headed to Paris.

Mr Kerry is to meet Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tomorrow evening at the Russian ambassador's residence.

Mr Kerry spoke to Mr Lavrov on the flight to Shannon after President Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin agreed in a call yesterday to have their foreign ministers meet to discuss a possible diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine situation.

While in Paris, Mr Kerry may also meet separately with the French foreign minister Laurent Fabius.

State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki confirmed the day and general time of the Kerry-Lavrov meeting.

During yesterday's hour-long call Mr Obama urged Mr Putin to withdraw his troops from the border with Ukraine. The Russian leader, who initiated the call, asserted that Ukraine's government is allowing extremists to intimidate civilians with impunity - something Ukraine insists has not happened.

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