Ukraine and the Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east said they were closer to a ceasefire Thursday — although fierce fighting continued on the ground and details of the deal remained vague.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he is ready to order a ceasefire Friday if a peace deal is signed during talks in Belarus.
“Look, Ukraine is fighting for peace,” he told a news conference at the NATO summit in Wales. “It’s Ukraine which pays the highest price every single day, losing lives of soldiers [and] innocent civilians.”
The rebels, backed by as many as several thousand Russian troops, also said they were ready to declare a truce if an agreement with Ukraine is reached.
Specific terms of the hoped-for deal have yet to be revealed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Wednesday that rebels stop their offensive while Ukrainian forces pull back from disputed areas.
But witnesses said Thursday that a convoy of Russian tanks and armored vehicles was headed toward the coastal city of Mariupol before being stopped by Ukrainian forces.
A NATO officer said the number of Russian soldiers fighting in the conflict has grown to several thousand — far higher than a previous estimate of 1,000.