Putin cancels request for military force in Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin has asked Moscow’s parliament to cancel a resolution sanctioning the use of military force in Ukraine, according to Russian news agencies.

The president’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Mr Putin had written to the head of Russia’s upper house of parliament asking that his March 1 request for approval of the use of force be withdrawn, the agencies reported.

Mr Putin issued the request to parliament after Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was ousted in February following months of street protests.

In March, Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Crimea was annexed by Russia with the help of troops, which Mr Putin later admitted were Russian army forces.

[comment] Porosehenko: offered a ceasefire.[/comment]

The move comes as rebel leaders of the pro-Russian insurgency in east Ukraine announced yesterday that they would respect a ceasefire declared by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last week, raising hopes for an end to months of fighting in which hundreds have been killed.

The ceasefire appeared to be largely holding today.

Vladislav Seleznev, a spokesman for Ukraine’s operation in the east, said rebel forces attacked a Ukrainian base north of Slovyansk late yesterday, but there had been no fighting overnight.

Some soldiers at a government-controlled checkpoint in Dovhenko, 30 miles (50km) north of the rebel stronghold of Slovyansk, were seen relaxing near the barricades today, while others engaged in shooting drills nearby.