That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Saturday, February 13. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage.
Putin and Obama discussed Ukraine:
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed to intensify joint diplomatic efforts following the agreement struck in Munich earlier this week to defuse the conflict in Syria.
The two leaders spoke by telephone on February 14, according to a statement released by the Kremlin. The statement said Putin also stressed to Obama the need to create a united international front against global terrorism.
Putin reportedly said that closer contacts are needed between U.S. and Russian military officials in order to successfully counter Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
Putin also expressed the hope that authorities in Ukraine will "promptly fulfill their obligations" under the Minsk process to regulate the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist militants, according to the statement.
Western countries have blamed Russian air strikes in Syria and support for the government of President Bashar al-Assad for the worsening security situation there.
And on February 13, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Moscow had failed to implement its obligations under the Minsk process, including the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and handing over to Kyiv complete control over Ukraine's borders. (Reuters, Interfax, and TASS)
Ukraine separatists say 10 Months needed before elections:
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine say that local elections mandated by the Minsk process on ending the conflict in the region can only be held toward the end of this year.
Separatist official Vladislav Deinego said in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk on February 14 that first the political situation must "stabilize" and economic concerns must be addressed.
"It will take at least half a year to complete constitutional reform and at least a month to adopt a law on elections and begin preparing," he said. "It turns out it will take at least 10 months."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking in Munich on February 13, urged Kyiv to adopt "constitutional reform that will reinforce the permanent status of Donbas."
In an interview with TASS on February 14, Lamberto Zannier, secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said his organization was prepared to facilitate elections on the separatist-held territory.
He said he had discussed with Ukrainian officials the possibility of creating an international police mission to "help creating a secure environment for the elections." (TASS, Interfax)
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry (click on map to enlarge):
