Ukraine rebels seek autonomy

Separatists from eastern Ukraine sat down for talks with mediators in Belarus' capital Minsk to look for a solution to the ongoing violence.

The pro-Russian rebels were speaking with the "contact group," comprised of Moscow's ambassador to Kyiv, Mikhail Zurabov, a senior official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's former president who is informally representing Ukraine in the talks.

The Associated Press news agency quoted Russia's official newswire RIA Novosti as saying that the rebels were willing to discuss "the preservation of the united economic, cultural and political space of Ukraine," but that they would expect wide-reaching amnesty and broad local powers in return.

Rebel leader Andrei Purgin told Russian state television about the talks being scheduled for later this week: "This is just the beginning of the process… When consultations continue on September 5, steps toward a potential ceasefire will be discussed and we will actively talk about a possible prisoner exchange."

The rebels' deal is only for eastern Ukraine and does not apply to Crimea, which Russia occupied in March this year. A compromise could be very difficult, especially since violence continued unabated in eastern Ukraine on Monday. Rebel forces succeeded in pushing out Ukrainian soldiers from an airport close to Luhansk, the second-largest city occupied by the separatists.

However, Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov insisted that participants in the Belarus talks push for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. In a speech at the Moscow State Institue of International Relations, Lavrov rejected claims that his country sent troops, artillery and tanks to reinforce the separatists' struggle.

Meanwhile, European Union countries are meeting over the weekend to discuss further sanctions against Russia, which may work towards putting an end to a conflict that has killed nearly 2,600 people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee from their homes.

NATO member states have also agreed to meet on Thursday in Wales to approve the creation of a high-readiness force to help protect member nations against potential attacks from Russia.

mg/hc (AP, dpa, Reuters)