Ukraine crisis: Valdimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko agree to sign joint document – reports
It had seemed could be light at the end of the tunnel for Ukraine.
After marathon peace talks in Minsk involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko it was reported that both Putin and Poroshenko would sign a joint document; offering hope that the crisis could be drawing to a close. However that now looks more unlikely, with Ukraine's leader Poroshenko terming Russian conditions unacceptable. He said that hope remained. Speaking to AFP Poroshenko explained:
We’re in non-stop talks, as you can see, the situation is very difficult, Angela Merkel and President Francois Hollande are helping us a lot, but for now the situation is difficult.
The talks have already continued for well over 12 hours in the Belarusian capital Minsk, as leaders seek to end a conflict that has cost the lives of more than 5,300 people since it began in August.
Earlier this week, US President Barack Obama urged Putin to take the opportunity to make peace, and revealed, separately, that he had asked members of his administration to look into giving arms to the Ukrainian forces.