Merkel, Hollande end Moscow talks without word of peace deal

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: Reuters

The leaders of Germany and France ended more than five hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday without announcing any agreement to end fighting in east Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the leaders had agreed at "constructive and substantive talks" to continue working towards a joint document on implementing a ceasefire agreement that was reached in the Belarussian capital Minsk last September but has collapsed.

Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande were expected to speak next by phone on Sunday, Peskov said, indicating that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko would also take part in the conversation.

"The talks are over for now and our guests are already on their way to the airport," he told reporters at the Kremlin.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/06/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0LA13N20150206

[Adrahil]

1. TBH, Putin is unlikely to be swayed on this.

He has decided to seize control of eastern Ukraine and guarantee a land bridge to his base in Crimea. He knows we will not go to war over it, and he is willing to pay an economic price to do so.

He knows that if he can ride out a couple years, the sanctions will be lifted, and trade will resume. And he'll still have all he wanted.

[uhnope]

2. Probably, except the area might end up more like Transnistria than like "New Russia"

[Adrahil]

4. Had to look that up!

That may be true, but I don't think Putin cares what their official designation is, so long as he maintains control.

[red dog 1]

3. K&R...Thanks for posting

Putin is a pig!

I doubt if he will ever pull out of eastern Ukraine.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Ukraine crisis: Fresh Minsk summit on Wednesday to discuss peace plan

Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France will meet in Belarus's capital Minsk on Wednesday to discuss a peace plan for eastern Ukraine, Germany says.

It comes after leaders of the four countries discussed the ongoing conflict by telephone on Sunday.
...
Mrs Merkel, Mr Hollande, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an "extensive" telephone conference on Sunday, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement (in German).

The four parties discussed "a package of measures" to try to reach "a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine," Mr Seibert said, adding that the leaders aimed to meet on Wednesday.