Ukraine in Arabic | Ukraine and Russia to start consultations between border agencies

27.08.2014 - 13:07 #Ukraine, #Petro Poroshenko, #Russia, #Minsk, #summit, #Vladimir Putin, #EU, #separatists, #rebels

Ukrainian president claims at Minsk summit that he insists on the immediate release of all the hostages and points to the need to close the borders to prevent illegal shipments of weapons and military hardware from Russia.

KYIV/Ukraine in Arabic/ Ukraine and Russia will launch a dialog between general staffs of both countries in the context of the settlement of the situation in east Ukraine, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

Late night talks at the summit in Minsk have at least pulled Moscow and Kyiv into one frame of mind – that the bloodshed in Ukraine must stop.

After tough and complex discussions and with the backing of the EU’s foreign policy chief, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has promised to work on an urgent ceasefire plan.

“An agreement has been reached involving the immediate creation of a three-sided contact group. I’m hopeful we could see the release very soon of those hostages who’re being illegally held now,” said President Poroshenko.

President Vladimir Putin may have encouraged his counterpart to come up with a road map for a truce but he’s stressed it’s not up to Russia to get involved. It’s for Kyiv to work it out with Ukraine’s separatist rebels.

“We have talked about the need to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible, about the need to move towards a political settlement of the whole range of problems that Ukraine faces in the southeast of the country. On our side, Russia will do everything to help this peace process – if it starts, and we believe it should be started immediately,” Putin told journalists.

So far the only concrete success of Minsk is that for the first time since June Putin and Poroshenko have at least talked face to face.

euronews.com