Ukraine Rebels Agree to More Talks, But Will Ceasefire Hold?

Poroshenko Says Ukraine Might Not Extend Truce

Ukraine’s separatist eastern rebels have agreed to a new round of peace talks aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, but the ceasefire that has made room for those talks may not survive tomorrow at this point.

Both sides agreed to a weeklong ceasefire last Friday, and with the ceasefire set to expire at 3 pm Eastern tomorrow, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko insists he is undecided on allowing any extension.

Previously, Poroshenko had suggested he was open to the extension, something pushed by the EU and Russia in trying to broker the truce. Some 5,000 eastern Ukrainians, mostly ethnic Russians, have fled across the border into Russia now, fearing the resumption of fighting.

The US, which never really embraced the ceasefire in the first place, continues to demand Russia forcibly disarm the ethnic Russian rebels, allowing the Poroshenko government to reconquer the breakaway regions.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.