Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Friday expressed his readiness for new European-mediated talks Saturday to end the violence in the eastern regions.
“To implement the Berlin agreements of the four states’ foreign ministers, Ukraine is ready for further work in the trilateral contact group, for the next meeting on July 5 in particular,” Xinhua quoted the presidential press service as saying Friday.
“Ukraine has proposed the place and time and is expecting the confirmation of other parties.”
Poroshenko also said he had to resume the military operations against armed separatists in eastern Ukraine, based on the decision by the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Service, since the insurgents in the restive Donetsk and Lugansk regions did not observe the ceasefire during a 10-day truce.
Poroshenko said this during a telephonic conversation with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who assured Ukraine of EU’s support.
Consultations between the “contact group” of Ukraine, Russia and the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk separatists also took place June 27.
In a separate development, the leaders of Germany, Ukraine and France discussed developments in Ukraine over telephone, a government spokesperson said here.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko agreed that a bilateral ceasefire and a common approach by Ukraine and Russia to secure their border were preconditions to stabilise the situation.
The three leaders called on Russia to exert its influence to help achieve the goals.
–IANS