Austria hopes for the speedy release of the hostages in Sloviansk (Donetsk region) without any conditions, Federal Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has said.

"It is important to implement the Geneva agreements, and we appreciate the steps that have been made by the Ukrainian government," he said at a press briefing after talks with Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deschytsia in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He said Austria hopes that the Russian side would also take the respective steps to de-escalate the situation and expects the speedy release of the hostages.

"We expect that the hostages will be released without any additional conditions," Kurz said.