Kyiv, Ukrainian Separatists Reach Cease-Fire Deal
Posted: September 5, 2014
Fighting is still raging, but the deal is supposed to usher in peace at 11 a.m. ET. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said all must be done to stop the blood shed.
The government of Ukraine in Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists in the east have agreed to stop fighting at 11 a.m. ET.
NPR’s Corey Flintoff reports that for now, fighting is still raging. He filed this report for our Newscast unit:
“Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would order the ceasefire if the separatists agreed to peace talks at a meeting in Belarus.
“Ukrainian representatives met the separatists, along with representatives from Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
“The negotiations come as Ukrainian troops came under heavy fire from militant forces in Donetsk, and near the southern port city of Mariupol.
“Ukraine, the United States and NATO say the separatists are being joined in the assault by elite Russian troops with heavy artillery.
“Russia denies any involvement in the fighting.”
On his twitter account, Poroshenko said he had ordered his military to stop fighting at 11 a.m. ET.
Human life, he added, is of the highest value.
“We must do everything possible to stop the bloodshed and put an end to the suffering,” Poroshenko tweeted.
It’s worth noting that previous cease-fire deals have fallen apart quickly.
Reuters also reports that not much has changed as far the position of both parties. Igor Plotnitsky, the leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, told Reuters that despite the cease-fire deal, they will still seek independence from Ukraine.
Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
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