Ukraine holds peace talks as fighting continues

(Reuters) – The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine began peace talks in Belarus on Wednesday, while in Ukraine pro-Moscow separatists tightened the pressure on Kiev by launching some of the war’s worst fighting.

The Kiev army said 19 of its soldiers were killed in a day of pro-Russian separatist assaults near the railway town of Debaltseve, some of the worst losses it has reported in nine months of war.

Rebels who tore up a five-month-old truce in January are trying to encircle government forces in Debaltseve, a strategic location that would let them link up their main strongholds.

Fighting has already killed more than 5,000 people, and Washington is now openly talking of arming Ukraine to defend itself from “Russian aggression”, raising the prospect of a proxy war in the heart of Europe between Cold War foes.

A surge in fighting in the 24 hours before the summit, including a rocket attack that killed 17 people deep in government-held territory on Tuesday, could be intended to force Ukraine to accept a deal recognising the rebel advance.

The summit is being held in neighbouring Belarus under a Franco-German proposal to try to halt the fighting. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Francois Hollande began talks with Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

The four leaders met alone at about 1715 GMT and were due to go into a full summit with their delegations later.

A Belarussian representative said the four leaders meeting alone was an unexpected break with diplomatic procedure and it was not clear whether they would meet with their delegations as planned. The four were joined by their foreign ministers but had not yet moved into the official negotiating room.

On arrival, Poroshenko said that without a de-escalation of the conflict and a ceasefire the situation would get “out of control”. Russian television showed him shaking hands with Putin.

Hopes for a breakthrough appear slim and would depend on Ukraine making most of the concessions, with advancing rebels unlikely to agree to halt and go back to previous positions.

Still, Moscow expressed optimism. A Russian diplomatic source said it was 70 percent likely that an agreement would be reached.

“The presidents aren’t travelling (to Minsk) for no reason,” the source said.