Minsk talks cancelled amid Ukraine bloodshed

At least 12 civilians were killed in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Friday, according to the city's pro-Russia administration. Donetsk city hall said five were killed when a mortar shell hit nearby as they stood in line waiting for humanitarian aid near a community center.

Another two died when a shell landed near a trolleybus, while another five died after being hit by artillery fire. Militia leaders gave a slightly different account, saying that five were killed in the mortar that hit near the bus.

Peace talks called off

Meanwhile, a fresh round of peace talks that were meant to be held in the Belarusian capital, Minsk on Friday, were called off amid the ongoing bloodshed in eastern Ukraine. The rebels were the first to announce their cancellation.

"The foreign ministry of Belarus confirmed today that Kyiv (representatives) won't come, the talks have been cancelled," the AFP news agency cited separatist envoy Denis Pushilin as telling reporters in Minsk. "We are leaving Minsk today," he added.

However, a spokesman for the Belarusian foreign ministry declined to confirm his.

Separately, Reuters quoted a statement from the Ukrainian military, which blamed the rebels for the attack near the community center, describing it as a "cynical terrorist act" aimed at undermining the planned meeting in Minsk of the so-called 'contact group,' made up of representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as rebel leaders.

Apart from the attacks in Donetsk, most of Friday's fighting appeared to be focused around Debaltseve, a government-held town of around 25,000 within rebel-territory. The town is regarded as strategically significant as it straddles a railway line that connects Donetsk with the other major rebel-held town, Luhansk. The rebels claim to have almost encircled Debaltseve.

French-Polish call for ceasefire

The ongoing fighting - and cancellation of thelatest planned peace talks, have caused fresh alarm in the West. A day after European Union foreign ministers agreed to extend sanctions against Russia over its alleged support of the rebels, French President Francois Hollande and Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz called on the Kremlin to cut off support to the separatists.

AFP quoted a joint statement released by the two leaders following a meeting in Paris, in which they called for an immediate ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

"We call on Russia to immediately contribute to a political solution by ceasing all forms of support to the separatists in eastern Ukraine," the statement said.

Hollande also pledged to send French tanks and armored vehicles to bolster forces from the Western military alliance NATO stationed in Poland. Since last April, NATO allies have been rotating forces and military equipment through Poland and other member states in eastern Europe in a bid to increase security.

pfd/bw (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)