Russia Sees Ukraine Peace-Pact Extension Chance as Shelling Ends
- Idea opposed by Ukrainian officials insisting on 2015 cutoff
- Comments come as renewed cease-fire in east Ukraine takes hold
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Russia said the deadline to implement a peace accord between Ukraine and the Kremlin-backed separatists it’s battling may be extended, as the conflict’s first day in 18 months without shelling raised hopes of progress.
The suggestion contradicted the message from Ukrainian officials as President Petro Poroshenko and his foreign minister both said the pact, sealed in February after all-night talks in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, must be completed by year-end. While a renewed cease-fire initiative has taken hold, sticking points remain over local elections and autonomy for the rebel-held lands in Ukraine’s east.