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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine crisis: Hollande and Merkel set for Putin talks | Ukraine crisis: Hollande and Merkel set for Putin talks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are due to hold talks in Moscow to try to end escalating fighting in east Ukraine. | French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are due to hold talks in Moscow to try to end escalating fighting in east Ukraine. |
| Their meeting with President Vladimir Putin follows urgent talks in Kiev, where a new peace plan was presented. | Their meeting with President Vladimir Putin follows urgent talks in Kiev, where a new peace plan was presented. |
| A temporary truce has reportedly been declared to allow some civilian evacuations in Debaltseve, at the heart of the current fighting. | |
| Moscow is accused of arming pro-Russian separatists - a claim it denies. | Moscow is accused of arming pro-Russian separatists - a claim it denies. |
| Russia also rejects claims by Ukraine and the West that its regular troops are fighting alongside the rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. | Russia also rejects claims by Ukraine and the West that its regular troops are fighting alongside the rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. |
| Clashes have left nearly 5,400 people dead since April, the UN says. | Clashes have left nearly 5,400 people dead since April, the UN says. |
| As a result, a September ceasefire ,signed in Minsk, Belarus, is now in tatters. | |
| Ukraine is also set to dominate an annual multi-lateral security conference in Munich, and meetings between US Vice-President Joe Biden and top EU officials in Brussels. | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was also in Kiev, said the US wanted a diplomatic solution, but would not close its eyes to Russian aggression. | US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was also in Kiev, said the US wanted a diplomatic solution, but would not close its eyes to Russian aggression. |
| 'Hopes for ceasefire' | 'Hopes for ceasefire' |
| The fighting has intensified in recent weeks after a rebel offensive, and a temporary truce was declared in Debaltseve on Friday, where Ukrainian forces are fighting to to hold the town against surrounding rebels. | |
| Convoys of buses were seen heading to the town on Friday to evacuate civilians who have been forced to shelter from the bombing underground. | |
| They were escorted by monitors from the OSCE security watchdog, reported Reuters news agency. | |
| Washington is considering Ukrainian pleas for better weaponry to fend off the rebels, raising European fears of an escalation in the conflict and spurring the latest peace bid. | Washington is considering Ukrainian pleas for better weaponry to fend off the rebels, raising European fears of an escalation in the conflict and spurring the latest peace bid. |
| Mr Holland and Mrs Merkel are due to meet Mr Putin in Moscow at about 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). | Mr Holland and Mrs Merkel are due to meet Mr Putin in Moscow at about 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). |
| On Thursday, the two leaders examined the plan with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, without releasing any details. | On Thursday, the two leaders examined the plan with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, without releasing any details. |
| Major questions any plan would have to address include the route of any new ceasefire line, how to enforce it, and the future status of the conflict zone, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow. | Major questions any plan would have to address include the route of any new ceasefire line, how to enforce it, and the future status of the conflict zone, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow. |
| The fact that Mrs Merkel has agreed to come to the Russian capital for the first time since this conflict began suggests she sees some hope of compromise, our correspondent says. | The fact that Mrs Merkel has agreed to come to the Russian capital for the first time since this conflict began suggests she sees some hope of compromise, our correspondent says. |
| Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin tweeted late on Thursday: "Good mtg of Normandy Troika. Minsk agts [agreements]- roadmap to peace&territorial integrity of Ukraine. Specific steps 2 ensure implementation discussed." | Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin tweeted late on Thursday: "Good mtg of Normandy Troika. Minsk agts [agreements]- roadmap to peace&territorial integrity of Ukraine. Specific steps 2 ensure implementation discussed." |
| A spokesman for the Kremlin said Mr Putin would discuss "the fastest possible end to the civil war in south-eastern Ukraine", without elaborating. | A spokesman for the Kremlin said Mr Putin would discuss "the fastest possible end to the civil war in south-eastern Ukraine", without elaborating. |
| 'Reviewing options' | 'Reviewing options' |
| Speaking earlier on Thursday at a joint news conference with Mr Kerry, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said: "We need to get peace. But we will never consider anything that undermines territorial integrity... of Ukraine". | Speaking earlier on Thursday at a joint news conference with Mr Kerry, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said: "We need to get peace. But we will never consider anything that undermines territorial integrity... of Ukraine". |
| Mr Kerry accused Russia of violating Ukraine's sovereignty, saying that Russia had been acting with "impunity", crossing the Ukrainian border "at will with weapons [and] personnel". | Mr Kerry accused Russia of violating Ukraine's sovereignty, saying that Russia had been acting with "impunity", crossing the Ukrainian border "at will with weapons [and] personnel". |
| "We are choosing a peaceful solution through diplomacy - but you cannot have a one-sided peace," Mr Kerry said. | "We are choosing a peaceful solution through diplomacy - but you cannot have a one-sided peace," Mr Kerry said. |
| The US is currently only providing "non-lethal" assistance, like night-vision goggles and body armour. | The US is currently only providing "non-lethal" assistance, like night-vision goggles and body armour. |
| Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said any decision by the US to supply weapons to Ukraine would "inflict colossal damage to Russian-American relations". | Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said any decision by the US to supply weapons to Ukraine would "inflict colossal damage to Russian-American relations". |
| Some 1.2 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since last April, when the rebels seized a big swathe of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions following Russia's annexation of Crimea. | Some 1.2 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since last April, when the rebels seized a big swathe of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions following Russia's annexation of Crimea. |
| Are you in eastern Ukraine? Have you been affected by events? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you in eastern Ukraine? Have you been affected by events? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Have your say | Have your say |