Ukraine ceasefire in balance as eastern clashes continue

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko made no immediate move to extend a ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists last night, after he said they had failed to fulfil conditions.

Fighting has continued in eastern Ukraine during a 10-day “ceasefire” that ended yesterday evening, and the rebels have not met Mr Poroshenko’s demands they lay down weapons and relinquish control of border crossings.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Poroshenko discussed the crisis in a four-way telephone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande.

Mr Putin proposed to allow Ukrainian border guards and monitors from the 57-state Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe visit Russian posts on the frontier with Ukraine to check arms and fighters were not being allowed through, according to Moscow's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. "We expect that direct and detailed consultations between Russian and Ukrainian border guards will start shortly to agree details of the monitors' presence."

The lack of any clear timing for the monitoring will only feed the belief of many Ukrainians that Russia is just playing for time, fending off more EU and US sanctions while failing to rein in fighters.

Mr Poroshenko is under increasing pressure from his own people, and some officials, to scrap a ceasefire that has brought no concessions from the rebels and has seen them kill 27 soldiers and injure 69 more.

Hundreds gathered outside the presidential administration on Sunday to demand an end to ceasefire and restart of “anti-terrorist” operations.

Cost of further sanctions

European leaders are pressing for a negotiated resolution to the crisis, and many are eager not to impose fresh sanctions that could see their own economies suffer losses.

"They agreed that negotiations should be restarted as soon as possible . . ." Dr Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said after the talks yesterday "The primary aim should be agreement on a bilateral ceasefire."

The Kremlin said foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France would discuss further steps.

Moscow appears keen to negotiate with France and Germany – with which it has strong business contacts – rather than with representatives of the entire EU, as Poland and the Baltic states favour a tougher line on Russia.

The UN says more than 400 people have been killed in Donetsk and Luhansk, and some 110,000 people have fled to Russia while a further 54,000 have been displaced within Ukraine. On Sunday night, Russian cameraman Anatoly Klyan was shot dead while filming near a Ukrainian military base in Donetsk.