Here is today's map of the military situation in eastern Ukraine from the National Security and Defense Council:
Early takeaway from meeting: Putin ignores elephant in the room (war in Ukraine) and rants about trade, mentions war only in passing.
— Nataliya Vasilyeva (@NatVasilyevaAP) August 26, 2014Poroshenko sounds surprisingly restrained, doesn't mention Russian aggression/servicemen on its territory/weapons for rebels/border woes.1/2
— Nataliya Vasilyeva (@NatVasilyevaAP) August 26, 2014And now we have another quick update from our news desk on events in Minsk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his talks in Minsk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and EU leaders are "deciding the fate of the world and Europe."
He spoke as multilateral talks began today that include Putin, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.
Poroshenko also said he is seeking "political compromise" and that halting supplies of weapons to separatists in the southeast would open the way for peace in eastern Ukraine.
Putin said the Ukraine crisis can only be resolved by talks between Kyiv and representatives of southeastern Ukraine.
Separately, Nazarbaev told Poroshenko he should meet in direct bilateral talks with Putin.
The Kazakh president also called for a truce in eastern Ukraine and for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
(ITAR-TASS, Interfax, Reuters)
Countering Putin's claims, Poroshenko describes nuts and bolts of how Ukraine's Association Agreement could be reconciled with trade wt R.
— Nataliya Vasilyeva (@NatVasilyevaAP) August 26, 2014
Poroshenko speaks Russian here, by the way.
— Nataliya Vasilyeva (@NatVasilyevaAP) August 26, 2014
Here's a pic of that handshake between Putin and Poroshenko. No doubt body-language experts are poring over it right now.
Путин как-то по-дурацки заигрывает с Порошенко. Демонстрирует силу, но очень некрасиво. Видимо, дергается. pic.twitter.com/xfcDc2ySUH
— Новости Украины (@Dbnmjr) August 26, 2014