Hopes endure for ceasefire deal in Minsk
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
12.02.2015 08:48
After twelve hours of ceasefire talks through the night in Minsk, Belarus, hopes of a deal to solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine rose amid references to a joint declaration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C-R), French President Francois Hollande (C-L) and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (R) attend their meeting in Minsk, Belarus, 11 February 2015. Others are not identified. EPA/MYKOLA LAZARENKO
The tense talks between the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, France and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel continued on Thursday morning amid an escalation of fighting between Ukraine's military and pro-Russian rebels in the Donbas region.
According to the Reuters news agency, which has been informed by sources in Minsk, the prospective joint declaration ''may be signed by lower level envoys rather than by the leaders themselves.''
Likewise, any document would have would have to be sent to a contact group of pro-Russian rebels, one source said.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stressed at the beginning of the talks that the conflict is on the verge of getting ''out of control.''
Over 5000 people have perished since the fighting began ten months ago, and the talks come as as the West prevaricates over whether to arm Ukraine.
President Barack Obama said this week that he is undecided on the matter of sending weaponry to Ukraine.
Although Polish defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak has stated that Warsaw will not dispatch ''heavy weaponry to Ukraine,'' in January Poland pledged to provide a loan of EUR 100 million to Kiev.
President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski said on Tuesday that ''without any hysteria, without any nervous reactions, we need to work consistently on the strengthening of Ukraine.'' (nh)