Good morning. We're starting up the live blog for another day.
From our news desk:
European Union leaders have held talks with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine as a truce between Ukrainian government forces and separatists neared its end.
The French presidency said the June 29 telephone conference between President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine lasted “more than two hours.”
It said the leaders discussed "the importance of making new concrete advances in the security situation on the ground, prolonging the cease-fire, and putting in place the peace plan" presented by Ukraine.
The Kremlin said the four leaders called on Poroshenko to extend the truce in the country's east beyond June 30.
The conversation comes after reports of renewed clashes in eastern Ukraine.
In Kyiv, several thousand demonstrators demanded an end to the cease-fire. (AFP, ITAR-TASS, and Interfax)
From our news desk:
Protesters have gathered in central Kyiv to demand an end to a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, where security forces are battling pro-Russian separatists.
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service says several thousand people gathered outside the presidential administration building. Some of the protesters were wearing camouflage uniforms and balaclavas.
The protesters also demanded that President Petro Poroshenko declare martial law in eastern Ukraine, give sufficient weapons to volunteer battalions to fight the "terrorists" and social guarantees for servicemen involved in the army's military operation in the east.
They also called on the president to demand tougher EU sanctions against Russia for supporting the separatists.
On June 27, Poroshenko extended by 72 hours a weeklong cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. The shaky cease-fire is now set to expire on June 30.
Some of the protesters in Kyiv are threatening new President Petro Poroshenko with the fate of his predecessor if he doesn't come talk to them.
LIVE stream of the Maidan protests: