Ukraine Extends Ceasefire For East

The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has extended a week long ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists in the East for another three days.

Some rebel leaders in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have said they would observe the truce, but others rejected it.

Mr Poroshenko’s announcement came hours after he had signed a landmark EU trade pact on the issue that has been triggering the recent crisis.

The ceasefire extension had been undertaken, it said, in line with a deadline set by EU leaders for Ukrainian rebels to agree to ceasefire verification arrangements, return border checkpoints to Kiev authorities and free hostages including detained monitors of the OSCE rights and security watchdog.

Poroshenko and national security chiefs have also said that during the 72 hours, recruitment centers for Russian fighters across the border in Russia should be closed.

Movements of rebel forces around the east and the setting-up of rebel checkpoints or barricades should also cease.

Ukrainian government forces would have the right to end the ceasefire ahead of time in any areas where ceasefire conditions were not being implemented, the announcement said.

Meanwhile, Russia warns that Ukraine might split in two because of the consequences.