Ukrainian president says 'not very optimistic' about crisis

MILAN (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told Austria's chancellor on Friday he was not hopeful about the Ukraine crisis following talks earlier in the day with Russian and European leaders. "Unfortunately, I am not very optimistic," Poroshenko said at the start of a meeting with Chancellor Werner Faymann that was witnessed by a Reuters reporter. Earlier, Poroshenko met Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy and the European Union in talks aimed at strengthening a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and ending a row over frozen Russian gas imports. (Reporting by Francesca Landini, Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by James Mackenzie)