Doubtful Ukraine peace talks

Talks between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists remained in doubt on Tuesday after officials in the Belarusian capital of Minsk said that neither party had confirmed their attendance at new peace talks, planned to begin later that day.

Russian media reports said that the talks may now begin on Friday instead, but this has not been confirmed.

Some three months since an unsuccessful 12-point ceasefire was brokered, Ukraine also planned to hold a "Day of Silence" in order to re-boot the much-violated agreement. Almost 1,000 people have died in near-daily clashes and exchanges of heavy weapons fire since the truce was signed in September.

In a bid to end what has become the worst crisis between the West and Russia since the Cold War, the previous Minsk agreement resulted in a 30-kilometer (18-mile) military buffer zone in the east and limited self-rule for the separatists.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko announced last Thursday that troops would observe the "Day of Silence", which would bring an end to shelling. Should the new truce deal hold, Poroshenko said, Ukraine would also begin to withdraw heavy weapons from the eastern frontline on the following day, but only if the separatists also observed the truce.

The Ukrainian proposal was reportedly well-received by some pro-Russian rebels, but it remained unknown whether all factions were in agreement.

According to the United Nations (UN) more than 4,300 people have been killed and almost one million displaced since the conflict began in April.

ksb/lw (Reuters, AFP)