Ukraine agrees 'permanent ceasefire' with Russian president Vladimir Putin

Ukraine’s president has agreed with Russia’s own president Vladimir Putin by phone on a “ceasefire process” for the east.

17:50 03 September 2014

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko says that he had a “permanent ceasefire” agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone. However, the Kremlin said that Mr Putin had not agreed to a ceasefire ‘as Russia was not party to the conflict’.

The earlier version of the statement on the Ukrainian presidential website read: "Their conversation resulted in agreement on a permanent ceasefire in the Donbass region [the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk]."

However, this has now been changed to: "Their conversation resulted in agreement on a process for ceasing fire in the Donbass region."
The statement adds that the two presidents "reached a mutual understanding on steps leading to peace".

However, the rebels in Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk have said that there will not be a ceasefire until the government withdraws its forces.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has expressed solidarity with Baltic member-states of Nato on a visit to Estonia.

A Nato summit opening in Wales on Thursday is expected to back plans for a rapid response force.