Putin’s plans for ceasefire dismissed by Ukraine PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined plans for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine yesterday but Ukraine’s prime minister dismissed the proposal, while France expressed its disapproval of Moscow’s support for separatist forces by halting delivery of a warship.

After speaking to Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko by phone, Putin said he believed Kiev and pro-Russian separatists could reach agreement at talks in Minsk tomorrow.

“Our views on the way to resolve the conflict, as it seemed to me, are very close,” Putin told reporters during a visit to the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, describing the seven steps he had put forward to secure a resolution to the crisis.