MINSK/KIEV — Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko will meet on Sunday, Belarus's official news agency Belta reported.
A spokesman for Poroshenko the meeting between the two men in Kiev "was entirely unrelated" to the international contact group seeking to resolve the separatist conflict in east Ukraine.
Belarus is a close ally of Russia but also has a solid relationship with Ukraine. It hosted hosted a round of peace talks in September of the contact group of envoys from Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
A new round of talks in the same format is also scheduled for Sunday in Minsk. A cease-fire agreed in the September meeting was repeatedly flouted by both sides.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
