Putin, Poroshenko urge end to violence in Ukraine
Iran Press TV
Fri Jun 6, 2014 4:53PM GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko have called for a quick end to hostilities in southeastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in a statement on Friday that the two leaders demanded an immediate end to bloodshed in Ukraine's southeastern regions.
The statement was made after the two leaders met for the first time during a ceremony in France marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion by the Allied forces.
The spokesman added that Putin and Poroshenko also called for a halt to the ongoing clashes between the Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Russia activists.
Meanwhile, the White House said Putin and US President Barack Obama had a brief conversation at a lunch event on the sidelines of the commemoration ceremony.
Peskov confirmed that Putin had met Obama, saying the two "spoke for the need to end violence and fighting as quickly as possible.'
It was the first face-to-face exchange between Putin and Obama since the crisis in Ukraine erupted after Crimea rejoined the Russian Federation following a referendum in March.
The US and the European Union accuse Russia of destabilizing Ukraine. They have already imposed travel bans and asset freezes on dozens of Russian officials and banks.
Russia, however, rejects the accusation, saying the pro-Russia protests in Ukraine began spontaneously in the country against the new government in Kiev.
Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking parts in the east have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in the southeastern regions in mid-April in a bid to root out the demonstrations there.
Poroshenko has ruled out negotiations with the pro-Russians, vowing to continue military operations in the country's southeastern provinces.
CAH/AB/SS
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