MINSK/BEIJING, Feb. 11  -- Media have made conflicting reports on whether a contact group on Ukraine crisis has reached a ceasefire deal, in a sign of mounting tension over the issue as Minsk braces for a crucial summit scheduled for Wednesday in the country's capital.

According to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA), the contact group has agreed on a ceasefire deal and a scheme for the withdrawal of heavy weapons.

Members of the contact group have also discussed in the session the state structure of Ukraine's Donetsk region and the holding of local elections, the Belarusian national news agency said.

However, Reuters cited a representative of the contact group as saying that no agreement had yet been reached on a ceasefire in talks in Minsk.

It also cited an unnamed second source, who denied the reports that a ceasefire deal was made. "No decisions were taken today," the source told the British news organization.

Attending the closed-door contact group meeting were former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, OSCE (the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) special representative Heidi Tagliavini, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov, and representatives of the self-declared republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego.

The meeting of the contact group on Ukraine marked the start of a new round of consultations ahead of the much-anticipated Minsk summit slated for Wednesday.

Tuesday's talks will have a considerable impact on the prospect of the four-way summit in Minsk, to be attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Representatives from the OSCE and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine would also attend the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, French President Hollande said he would travel to the Belarus' capital of Minsk on Wednesday with Merkel for talks on how to stop the fighting in Ukraine.

The French leader reiterated his "firm determination" to broker an agreement on a peace deal in Ukraine following recent waves of violence that threw a ceasefire agreement into disarray.

"But even as discussions are underway, so is fighting in eastern Ukraine which is making life for civilians a nightmare," Hollande was quoted by the daily Le Figaro as saying.

On the same day, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said relevant parties should make good use of the planned summit in Minsk to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.

"All parties should know that tomorrow we will once again have a great chance to make a first and important step forward, hopefully to defuse the conflicts and to silence the weapons," he said, adding that relevant parties should "really grab the chance with both hands in the face of impending military conflicts."

Though not a party in the so-called "Normandy Format," U.S. President Barack Obama had phone conversations on Tuesday respectively with Poroshenko and Putin over the matter, according to statements by the White House.

In his phone conversation with Putin, Obama "reiterated America's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and "underscored the importance of President Putin seizing the opportunity presented by the ongoing discussions between Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine to reach a peaceful resolution."

Obama also warned Putin of "rising costs" over what he called Russia's continuing "aggressive actions" in eastern Ukraine, "including by sending troops, weapons and financing to support the separatists," allegations that have been rejected by Moscow.

During his call with Poroshenko, Obama expressed his strong support for the current peace negotiations and both leaders "praised the contributions of Germany and France in the effort to achieve a sustainable, peaceful resolution to the conflict," a White House statement said.

As conflicts in Eastern Ukraine continue to intensify, the Obama administration was re-considering arming Kiev with lethal weapons, but U.S.allies in Europe feared that providing Kiev with such weapons is not an option on the table and believed the move would further escalate the crisis.

During his joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, however, Obama said that it had not been decided yet whether Washington would provide the Ukrainian government troops with lethal weapons.