Poroshenko Slams Russia's 'Insufficient' Support for Peace Plan
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday accused Russia of failing to fully back a peace plan to end the bloodshed in the east of his country.
The plan "will only be able to work if Russia cooperates. Up to now unfortunately the support (from Moscow) has been insufficient," Poroshenko told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
"The 'undeclared' war continues to rage," he said, calling on Moscow to "recall the mercenaries who are crossing the Russian border" into Ukraine.
He also said Russia needed to "put an end to the hate speech (against Ukraine) that is being relayed by Russian media and which in no way contributes to restoring peace."
Poroshenko said Kiev wants "to restore peace on the basis of a de-escalation. The prerequisite is an end to the violence."
His comments came as a week-long unilateral ceasefire announced by Poroshenko was due to expire on Friday.
Later on Thursday, the Ukrainian president said he was ready to make a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could put an end to a separatist insurgency convulsing his ex-Soviet state.
"I am ready to make peace with anybody," Poroshenko told CNN when asked about the possibility of a peace deal with the Russian leader. "I hate the idea of not to use the last opportunity to bring peace to the region."
Source: Agence France Presse
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