Putin Ready to Do Everything if Ukraine Peace Process Starts

Local Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he was willing to "do everything" if a peace process to end fighting in Ukraine's war-torn east gets underway following talks with Ukraine's leader.

"Russia will do everything for the peace process if it begins," Putin told journalists after a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Petro in Minsk.

This comes as Russian and Ukrainian leaders have concluded their first official face-to-face meeting in Minsk during which they discussed Ukraine's Association Agreement with EU and the crisis and humanitarian disaster in the east of the country.

Russia will do everything to facilitate a peace process in Ukraine, President Putin told the press following the 2-hour talks, which he described as "positive."

However, Russia did not and had never set forth conditions for settling Ukraine's internal conflict, Putin added, so a ceasefire agreement was not discussed during the talks in the absence of peace suggestions from Ukrainian leadership.

"We, Russia, cannot talk about any ceasefire conditions whatsoever, or possible agreements between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk," Putin stated.
"We can only facilitate the creation of an environment of trust in the course of this possible and much needed, in my opinion, negotiation process. This is what we talked about," Putin added.

In the meantime a contact group on the implementation of Ukraine's Association Agreement with the EU must resume its work as soon as possible to formulate final conditions for the free trade zone, Putin said.

"Not all of our arguments are accepted by our colleagues, but at least we were heard and we have agreed to intensify the exchange of views, and try to find some solutions," Putin said, adding that in the absence of a final agreement Russia will have to "take measures" to protect its economy. The sides have also agreed that a resumption of gas and energy talks is urgently needed, the Russian president said.

President Poroshenko meanwhile quickly left the building after the talks, giving no comment to the press, and headed to the Ukrainian embassy in Minsk. There he has held a ‘wrap-up meeting' with the head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, the Presidential press service said.

Ukraine has reached an agreement with Russia to start consultations between the border guards and the general staff of the two states in order to produce initial conditions for reaching a settlement in east Ukraine, Poroshenko told the press afterwards. Poroshenko also said that a peace plan will be prepared soon for a speedy cessation of hostilities.

"A roadmap will be prepared in order to achieve as soon as possible a ceasefire regime which absolutely must be bilateral in character," Poroshenko said in a statement.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team