Normandy quartet meeting in Minsk: Poroshenko to push for ceasefire, pulling out Russian troops


Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed his participation in the Normandy format negotiations dedicated to the peace process in Donbas in Minsk when he was on an urgent visit to the government-held city of Kramatorsk overnight into Wednesday. 

On February, 10 the city was attacked by Russian-backed militants, Ukrainian authorities say.

 “We demand an immediate, unconditional peace without any preconditions. We demand to cease fire, withdraw foreign troops and close the border. They have nothing to do here. We do not have any [internal – Belsat] conflict. We will find a compromise within the country. We need to protect peace, protect the calm in the city of Kramatorsk, we must protect Ukraine. This is why I’m heading to Minsk in order to immediately, unconditionally, and without any preconditions to call for a ceasefire and begin political dialogue. We will figure everything out on our own,” the presidential press service quotes him.

Later on Wednesday the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are expected to meet in Minsk for Ukrainian crisis resolution talks in the Normandy format.The situation in eastern Ukraine remains volatile.  According to the most recent figures, between 31 January and 5 February fighting in populated areas in the region claimed the lives of at least 263 civilians and wounded a further 674 people, bbc.com reports. Many of those died in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, where the sound of shelling is almost constant.

www.belsat.eu/en

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