Off the wire
• Britain launches its first road-ready driverless car  • Chinese shoppers buy one third of global tax-free goods in 2014  • Xinhua Insight: China will not pave paradise to put up parking lots  • FIFA president to visit Kenya in March  • Top seed Peng Shuai upset in Pattaya Open  • Roundup: Intense diplomacy preludes Minsk summit on Ukraine  • Kenya calls on South Sudan leaders to honour agreements  • Indian-controlled Kashmir sees continued turmoil  • WTA Pattaya Open results  • Spotlight: China, Vietnam vow to deepen partnership  
You are here: 　 Home

Ukraine to seek "unconditional ceasefire" during Minsk talks: Poroshenko

Xinhua, February 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday that Kiev would seek a "ceasefire without any conditions" during the upcoming talks in Minsk over the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"We need an unconditional ceasefire without any prerequisites," Poroshenko told a government meeting ahead of the talks, to be attended by Russian, French and German leaders later in the day.

He said that Ukraine and the European Union will speak "in one voice" during the summit.

Emphasizing that the peace in eastern regions is a key priority for Ukraine in the upcoming talks, Poroshenko said Kiev stands ready to defend the Ukrainian territory and introduce martial law if the conflict escalates further.

"I, the government and the parliament are ready to take the decision to impose martial law across the Ukrainian territory," Poroshenko emphasized.

Earlier, the pro-independence insurgents in eastern Ukraine said that no ceasefire is possible without Kiev withdrawing its forces from eastern regions.

Representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine will also attend the Minsk talks.

The Minsk summit comes amid sharp escalation of fighting in Ukraine's restive east, with at least 38 people killed and over 100 others wounded in the past 24 hours. Endi