Francoil Hollande

The French government said on Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred a massive controversy with his statements on the multi-billion-dollar Rafale fighter jet deal.

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said today he fully supports efforts by the French and German leaders to secure a peaceful resolution to the now "critical" crisis in Ukraine.

German chancellor Angela Merkel urged her European Union partners on Saturday to work together to get a deal on the 27-member bloc's budget at a summit this week, warning that agreement was far from certain.

The French government said on Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred a massive controversy with his statements on the multi-billion-dollar Rafale fighter jet deal.

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said today he fully supports efforts by the French and German leaders to secure a peaceful resolution to the now "critical" crisis in Ukraine.

German chancellor Angela Merkel urged her European Union partners on Saturday to work together to get a deal on the 27-member bloc's budget at a summit this week, warning that agreement was far from certain.