Ukraine Peace Talks Delayed but Ceasefire Largely Holds
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Tuesday a ceasefire along the front line in the east of his country appeared to be holding after Kiev declared a "day of silence" in its war with pro-Russian separatists.
"Today, one and a half hour ago, we declared a new ceasefire," Poroshenko said at a public lecture in Singapore.
"We don't have one shot, we don't have any killed soldiers," he said, momentarily choking back tears.
Poroshenko was speaking to academics, diplomats and business executives at the lecture organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, he expressed dissatisfaction at the postponement of peace talks planned for Tuesday in Minsk between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels along with Russian and European envoys.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry said the talks would probably not be held until Friday.
"It was agreed that (the talks) would take place in Minsk on the 9th (of December), and it was publicly affirmed by all the parties that they are ready to participate," Poroshenko said.
"But now when everybody is ready... suddenly they send the signal that they want to postpone to the 12th."
Poroshenko said the talks must be held urgently to secure the release of 684 hostages held by the rebels.
He said it was "decisively important to have a sustainable ceasefire".
"The only thing that is necessary to be done is that if you sign up, if you take this obligation, please implement them. This is my appeal to the Russian representatives and to those leaders of the terrorists sitting now in Donetsk and Lugansk," he said.
The Ukrainian leader also welcomed the restarting Tuesday of Russian natural gas shipments that had been cut off in June.
Russia had demanded immediate payment for past debts and future deliveries following the change of leadership in Kiev in February.
Moscow and Kiev managed on October 30 to strike a short-term price formula with the help of EU mediation.
"At the same time, I think we should work on the diversification of energy sources," Poroshenko said.
During the 30-minute lecture, Poroshenko said his country was ready to "stop the bleeding but not at the price of giving up our freedom, our democracy, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and independence".
He added that the conflict was not a war for Ukraine alone but a "war for freedom, for democracy, for Europe".
Poroshenko's pro-Western leadership urgently needs calm in the east so it can focus on long-delayed economic reforms to dig the country out of effective bankruptcy and open the way for more global aid.
Source: Agence France Presse
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