1 | Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pushed Wednesday for European powers to get Ukraine to comply with a truce in eastern Ukraine. |
2 | The already shaky truce between government troops and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine was again thrown into question this week when overnight shelling from both sides killed at least nine people. |
3 | Moscow blamed Kiev for the surge of violence, while Kiev said the rebel fighters provoked it. |
4 | The leaders of Ukraine, Germany and France are to meet Monday in Berlin to discuss the uptick in fighting. |
5 | Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is likely to meet senior EU officials in Brussels next week. |
6 | Lavrov said Wednesday he hopes Germany and France, as signatories of the February truce, "will do everything to make sure" Kiev complies with the deal. |
7 | The truce calls for the withdrawal of large-caliber weapons from the front lines and reforms to devolve power to Ukraine's regions. |
8 | NATO members discussed Ukraine on Wednesday and "expressed their serious concern about the recent sharp escalation of violence," acting alliance spokesman Carmen Romero said in a statement. |
9 | He said NATO stressed the need for all parties to de-escalate tensions and exercise restraint in eastern Ukraine. |