On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office announced that Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had spoken by phone, and "the result of the conversation was agreement on a permanent cease-fire in the Donbass," the term used for Ukraine's eastern regions. "An agreement was reached about mutual vision of steps that will promote peace." A few hours earlier, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that in the conversation, Poroshenko and Putin had discovered that their views on how to stop the bloodshed in the region "coincide to a considerable degree."

Poroshenko's office didn't disclose any details of the peace plan, or explain how Putin could agree to end a battle he insists he isn't fighting. There was also no immediate reaction from the pro-Russia separatists fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. The separatists didn't abide by Poroshenko's last cease-fire.

The agreement was announced as President Obama landed in Estonia to demonstrate NATO's commitment to keep Moscow from attacking member states near Russia (Ukraine isn't a member of NATO), and a day before NATO meets to discuss how to handle Russia's aggression. Timothy Ash, an analysts at Standard Bank in London, is skeptical about the timing:

I guess for the Ukrainian military this gives them a chance to regroup after recent military setbacks, and bide time to see what NATO and the EU delivers over the next few days in terms of deterrents to Russia for further intervention. In the past we have seen Moscow looking to talk/sending peace signals just before important EU/G7/NATO meetings, and presumably to weaken momentum toward sanctions/countermeasures. Subsequently we then saw further intervention and escalation.

Obama and other NATO nation leaders meet Thursday and Friday in Wales.


http://m.theweek.com/speedreads/index/267438/speedreads-ukraine-announces-permanent-cease-fire-after-phone-call-with-russias-vladimir-putin

Great ...waiting for similar phones calls in Nigeria over troubled North Eastern region.

Keneking: Great ...waiting for similar phones calls in Nigeria over troubled North Eastern region.

we pray that happens asap

Them for no announced na! . After one of their army plane was shot down, and their soldiers ambushed several times. Right from beginning they know they are fighting a fruitless war with the separatists but still stubbornly go ahead because of the West promises. They think Europe and America will come fight their war for them.....lol

See your big teeth,, you think war is fun shey

stingbreed: See your big teeth,, you think war is fun shey

War isn't funny but this is just damn funny. This is one of the most ridiculous war fought in history. The Russian minorities in Eastern Ukraine want to be with their mother Russia or at least have their autonomous republic, you are trying to stop them. They get their support from Russia, a Nation that is clearly a hundred times stronger than you, yet you still try to stop them. The most funny thing is that they fully know they can't win but they just don't want to back down. Their leaders are just using the army as puns. I pity those who fought and lost their lives for nothing! Absolutely nothing! To the extent some 400 of them flee to Russia.

Why do you talk like this,, imagine one of the state in Nigeria seeking to be harnessed with Cameroon or maybe seeking outonomy,, do you think the fg would just seat down and watch them or clap for them..... Things don't work like that

If Cameron is leagues ahead of us millitary it is best the FG don't do anything. What we should be doing is looking for support from stronger Nations, if they don't do anything just like the West didn't do anything for Ukraine it is best you don't humiliate yourself any further. BTW the situation there can never be compared with that of nigeria. That has to do more with ethnicity. Cameroon have more than 350 ethnics group just like Nigeria have 250+. If Cameroon is solely populated by Igbos for example and the millions of igbos(At least 90% of them)in South eastern Nigeria wish to join their big brother you can't stop them! Especially if you are weaker. That is the same scenerio for Eastern Ukraine and Russia. More than 90% chose to join Russia, they even carried out a referendum but the Ukrainian government is to trying to stop them. Their russian language is not even recognized in Ukraine. How would you feel if a country is eroding your culture, your ethnicity, your language! Just like what the China government is doing to the over 1 million Turkish miniority(The Uyghurs). Stopping them from learning their language, calling them Chinese!

It's not that simple