The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France have agreed to extend a strained deal aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine into 2016, even as Moscow and Kiev prepared to impose tit-for-tat trade embargoes.
The four leaders originally sealed the pact in Minsk, Belarus, last February, and it was supposed to be implemented by the end of this year, but much remains to be done to stabilise the region and re-integrate it into Ukraine.
Eighteen months of sporadic fighting between government forces and Russian-backed separatists has killed more than 9,000 people, injured more than 20,000 and displaced some two million, and the path to peace is still far from clear.
There is no agreement between Kiev, Moscow and the separatists over how much autonomy to give eastern Ukraine, how to run planned local elections there and whether rebels should be amnestied.
Border control
Another major sticking point is Moscow’s refusal to help Ukraine retake control of its eastern border from the rebels, across which fighters and weapons continue to flow unimpeded from Russia to separatist-held territory.
Though casualties and artillery exchanges have decreased in recent months, clashes still occur and international monitors say both Ukrainian and separatist forces have not withdrawn all heavy weapons from areas stipulated in the Minsk deal.
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko’s office said he had told the other leaders in a four-way telephone conversation about “an escalation in recent weeks” in eastern Ukraine, and urged Russia and the rebels to fulfil the terms of the pact.
Full ceasefire
The leaders called for a full ceasefire, and for the acceleration of legal and other work to prepare for local elections in separatist-held territory early in 2016.
Mr Poroshenko demanded that rebel leaders scrap plans to hold elections on their own terms in February, and insisted the ballot be conducted with “Ukrainian parties, Ukrainian media, its central election commission, international observers and in compliance with all the standards” of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
"To maintain order and guarantee safety during the election process, the president of Ukraine suggested deploying a special European Union peacekeeping mission to the occupied areas," his office announced.
Mr Poroshenko’s idea is unlikely to find favour with Russia or the separatists, who regard the EU and US with suspicion.
