Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France have scrapped plans for a summit this week on the conflict in Ukraine because of a lack of progress in implementing a four-month-old ceasefire agreement, Reuters reported. With bloodshed continuing between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists, there was no sign when a new attempt at a big-power meeting could be scheduled. The Russian, German and French leaders had been invited to talks on Thursday in the Kazakh capital Astana by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on ending the conflict in Ukraine's east that has killed more than 4,700 people in nine months. But the four countries' foreign ministers said after talks in Berlin on Monday the failure to implement the truce fully, and the need to agree on how to deliver aid and free prisoners, meant "further work needs to be done" before a summit is held. "The differences in opinion made it clear how difficult it is to make progress towards a political solution or a summit in Astana, from which much is expected and which must be prepared," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said all had agreed only a strict ceasefire could pave the way for the leaders to meet in Astana.
