PARIS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about an alternative to restore peace in eastern Ukraine, ways to end hostilities in Syria and Iran nuclear issue, the Elysee said.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, the Elysee said the two European leaders "stressed that the time had come to make choices to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which is weighing on relations between Russia and the European Union."

They also called on Moscow to take necessary moves to create favorable conditions for dialogue and respect commitment to put into effect the Minsk peace agreement.

Voicing "deep concern" over the Syrian government's last military offensive in the country's northwest, Macron and Merkel asked Putin to respect the ceasefire in Idlib and international regulations related to the use of chemical arms.

Speaking about rising tension between Iran and the United States, the three countries recalled their full commitment to preserving the 2015 nuclear agreement which they described as "an important element of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime."

"In the current context of sharp rise in tensions, it is important to avoid any action that would fuel an escalation," they said.