No Deal on Ukraine, But EU and Russian Officials to Keep Talking

Talks to Continue Into the Weekend

When French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel went to Russia Friday, there was a lot of hope that this meant they could hammer out a deal to resume the Ukraine ceasefire.

Talks continued late into the night, but have not ended with any sort of deal, though they have at the very least agreed to continue talking, so hope remains that a pact could be reached.

EU officials continue to downplay the chances of a quick compromise, but both sides seem to be eagerly working on a settlement, which is always a good sign.

Ukraine and the eastern rebels reached a ceasefire in early September, but collapsed late last month, with both sides blaming the other for seeking unilateral action from the other.

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.