KIEV, Ukraine— Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Russian-backed insurgents in eastern Ukraine to “stop advancing” Wednesday and urged the Ukrainian army to withdraw their troops from the region.
A day ahead of a NATO summit, Ukraine issued a vague statement about agreeing with Putin on cease-fire steps for eastern Ukraine. The separatists rejected the move, saying no cease-fire was possible without Ukraine withdrawing its forces, while Putin’s spokesman claimed that Moscow was not in a position to agree to a cease-fire because it is not party to the conflict.
The back-and-forth came as President Barack Obama arrived in Estonia in a …read more
Source: The Epoch Times