Russian
President Vladimir Putin has called on Kyiv and separatists to call an end to
hostilities after heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine. Putin said he backed a
peace plan drawn up by the Ukrainian president.
Deutsche Welle, 22 June 2014
On Sunday,
Putin called for genuine dialogue between Ukraine's government and pro-Russia
separatists fighting for control of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
As part of any deal, he said, Ukraine should first halt military operations in
the regions and guarantee the rights of Russian speakers.
"It's
necessary to start detailed, substantial dialogue," Putin told reporters
on Sunday, appearing to soften an initially lukewarm response to the Ukrainian
government's ceasefire proposal.
On Friday,
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had announced a unilateral peace plan,
which Russia slammed as little more than an ultimatum for the separatists to
put down their arms. Poroshenko said on Sunday that he would talk to those who
were not involved in the armed uprising, a move that Putin appeared to welcome.
"Russia
will certainly support these intentions," Putin said. "But, at the
end of the day, the most important thing is a political process. It's important
for dialogue between all warring parties to originate on the basis of this
peace plan."
Putin also
stressed that the violence was continuing, highlighting the use of artillery on
Saturday.
"Military
operations have not stopped," he said. "I can't say who is doing this
- whether this is a regular army or whether these are the armed units of some
rightist forces - but this is happening."
Though
Putin had given a measured response approving the plan on Saturday, he had also
sent a conflicting signal, by ordering the Russian military in the Urals and
Volga regions to be on full combat alert.
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