More on Kerry's statement in Paris from our news desk:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said Moscow must prove within "hours" that it is working to support a cease-fire between Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
After talks with his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, in Paris on June 26, Kerry said it is critical for Russia to show "in the next hours, literally" that it is moving to help disarm the separatists and encourage them to become part of a "legitimate process."
He said it is the preference of Western allies "not to have to be in a sanctions mode" with regard to Russia's behavior.
Kerry's comments come as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko prepares to introduce a bill in parliament on constitutional changes that would expand some regional powers.
Poroshenko held four-way telephone talks on the crisis on June 25 with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande. (AFP, Reuters, ITAR-TASS, and AP)
LATEST from our news desk:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, after talks in Paris, says Moscow must prove within "hours" that it is working to disarm pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The eastern flashpoint city of Slovyansk continues to pay a heavy price:
LATEST from our news desk:
Ukrainian President Poroshenko has said he will introduce a bill in parliament on June 26 on constitutional changes that would expand some regional powers, as part of his peace plan to quell the separatist crisis in the east.
Poroshenko is also due on June 26 to hold another urgent telephone conference on the crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande.
The talks are expected to focus on proposals involving the OSCE made by Merkel in a first round of four-way telephone talks on June 25.
Poroshenko will also address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on June 26.
Meanwhile, fighting was reported early on June 26 in and around the cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk in eastern Ukraine, despite a cease-fire agreed between government forces and armed pro-Russian rebels. (AFP, Reuters, ITAR-TASS, and AP)