President Poroshenko of Ukraine said today that he had agreed a “permanent ceasefire” in rebel areas around the city of Donetsk after talks this morning with President Putin of Russia.
Mr Poroshenko announced the apparent breakthrough on his Twitter feed soon after posting a video of his wife and three of his children performing the “ice bucket challenge” for charity.
“As a result of a telephone conversation with the president of Russia, we have reached agreement on a permanent ceasefire in the Donbass,” he said. “Glory to Ukraine!”
The accord was confirmed by the presidential press office, which said in a statement that “mutual understanding was achieved concerning the steps which will enable the establishment of peace”.
President Putin’s spokesman, who had earlier said that the two leaders “largely shared views” on how to end the fighting, denied that any ceasefire agreement had been reached because, he said, Russian was not a party to the conflict. The two men initially met for talks last week but there was little sign of any progress at that point.
Advertisement
Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of sending troops and weapons to support the insurgents, who have been fighting government troops since mid-April after the ouster of the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Moscow denies the charge.
During the conflict Mr Putin has been pushing for a federalised Ukraine that would give Russian-speaking areas around Donetsk and Luhansk a broad autonomy. Mr Poroshenko has rejected the idea, fearing that it could lead to the break-up of the country, and has instead suggested a a devolution of powers to give the restive regions more say in governance and taxation.
Over the weekend European Union leaders agreed to prepare a new round of sanctions that could be enacted in a week, after Nato accused Russia of sending tanks and troops into southeastern Ukraine. A Nato summit in Wales tomorrow is also expected to approve measures designed to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Obama arrived in the Baltic state of Estonia in a show of solidarity with Nato allies who fear they could be the next target of Russia’s aggression.
According to the United Nations, the fighting in eastern Ukraine has killed nearly 2,600 people and forced over 340,000 to flee their homes.