Share

Ukraine PM rejects ceasefire as bid to deceive West

Kiev - Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Wednesday rejected a ceasefire plan unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin as an attempt to deceive the West about Moscow's real intentions.

"This latest plan is another attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the international community ahead of the Nato summit and an attempt to avert the EU's inevitable decision to unleash a new wave of sanctions against Russia," he said in a statement.

"The best plan for ending Russia's war against Ukraine has only one single element - for Russia to withdraw its troops, its mercenaries and its terrorists from Ukrainian territory."

His comments come despite Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko saying he and Putin had agreed on the peace plan aimed at ending the near five-month conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The proposal, detailed by Putin on the eve of the Nato summit in Wales opening on Thursday, is due to be discussed on Friday by the so-called Ukraine Contact Group, which includes representatives of Kiev, separatist rebels, Moscow and the pan-european security body the OSCE.

Nato is planning a rapid reaction force of thousands of troops to reinforce its eastern flank, a move Russia says is evidence of the alliance's desire to aggravate tensions with Moscow.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Can radio hosts and media personalities be apolitical?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes, impartiality is key for public trust
32% - 401 votes
No, let's be real, we all have inherent biases
68% - 843 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.08
+0.4%
Rand - Pound
23.61
+0.9%
Rand - Euro
20.34
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.26
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.4%
Platinum
941.60
-0.9%
Palladium
1,019.50
-1.0%
Gold
2,394.52
+0.6%
Silver
28.69
+1.6%
Brent-ruolie
87.11
-0.2%
Top 40
67,314
+0.2%
All Share
73,364
+0.1%
Resource 10
63,285
-0.0%
Industrial 25
98,701
+0.3%
Financial 15
15,499
+0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE