German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier looks on during a news conference in Rome, Italy, October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Max Rossi

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that he and his French counterpart had invited the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine to meet in Minsk next week in another push to revive peace talks on the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he hoped the meeting would take place next Tuesday, weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is due to take office.

“Even if we don’t manage to find the big solution for the crisis, talks like these are simply necessary to make sure the situation doesn’t get out of control,” Steinmeier told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.

It is unclear yet how Trump, who is aiming for better U.S. ties with Russia, will handle the Ukraine crisis.