Holding a meeting in the Normandy format to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, requires confidence in its possible success, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

The meeting will be held if there's at least a little hope for achieving results, she said, at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin.

This depends on both parties, Merkel added.

Russian, German, French and Ukrainian leaders are expected to attend the meeting in Astana.