Putin Talks Peace With Ukraine Leader After Gas Pipeline Fire

By Volodymyr Verbyany, Elena Mazneva and Anastasia Ustinova Jun 18, 2014 4:00 AM ET

The Russian and Ukrainian presidents discussed a possible cease-fire for southeastern Ukraine hours after a pipeline fire blamed by the government in Kiev on sabotage threatened natural gas flows to Europe.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine talked last night about bilateral relations between the countries and about the death of Russian journalists working in Ukraine, according to a Kremlin statement.

“The issue of a possible cease-fire in the area of a military operation in Ukraine’s southeast has been touched upon,” the Kremlin said after the leaders’ phone call.

Putin and Poroshenko spoke a day after Russia cut gas supplies to the Ukraine over unpaid bills and demanded advance payments from its former Soviet Union ally. The gas dispute has stoked tensions between the two governments as Ukraine battles pro-Russian insurgents in its eastern region.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-18/putin-talks-peace-with-ukraine-s-leader-after-gas-pipeline-blaze.html