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Ukraine, Russia to 'work on' extending ceasefire: France

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine would also talk on the phone later on Monday.

Afp June 30, 2014 Less than a minute read

PARIS: The Russian and Ukrainian presidents agreed Monday to work on extending a ceasefire between Kiev and pro-Kremlin militias, just hours before the current truce expires, France said.

In a four-way teleconference call that also included the French and German leaders, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko agreed to work on "the adoption of an agreement on a bilateral ceasefire between Ukrainian authorities and separatists," the French presidency said.

The deadline for the current shaky ceasefire in violence-hit eastern Ukraine runs out at 1900 GMT on Monday, with no end to weeks of fighting in sight.

France and Germany have already reiterated a warning from the European Union that it could slap more sanctions on Moscow if Putin does not explicitly pressure pro-Kremlin rebels to stop fighting.

In its statement, the French presidency said the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine would also talk on the phone later on Monday.