Ukraine and Russia have announced common ground and what appears to be a truce in their ongoing conflict. Kyiv has spoken of a "ceasefire regime" while Moscow has denied any ceasefire but steps towards "peace," reports GHN based on dw.de
Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday announced a ceasefire had been reached with Russia. But following an immediate denial by the Kremlin, Poroshenko watered down his comments.
"The parties reached mutual understanding on the steps that will facilitate the establishment of peace," the second statement read.
Poroshenko had earlier said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on a "permanent ceasefire" in eastern Ukraine.
But the Kremlin denied this, saying the two leaders had only agreed on steps towards peace in eastern Ukraine, because Russia "was not a party to the conflict."
"Putin and Poroshenko really discussed the steps that would contribute to a ceasefire between the militia and the Ukrainian forces. Russia cannot physically agree to a ceasefire because it is not a party to the conflict," said Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
That position is disputed by Kyiv and Western governments, which say Russian troops are fighting alongside the pro-Moscow separatists.
Almost 2,600 people have died in the conflict since April, when separatists began battling government forces shortly after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March.