WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US government has some ideas that could speed up the resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday upon meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We also have some ideas, Mr. President [Putin], for how we could perhaps make faster, greater progress with respect to Ukraine," Kerry stated.
Southeastern Ukraine has been suffering from a crisis triggered by a military operation launched by Kiev authorities against local militias in the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in April 2014. The regions have refused to recognize the pro-Western government in Kiev that came to power in 2014 in what they consider to have been a coup.
In February 2015, Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine worked out a ceasefire deal in Minsk, later signed by Kiev and the eastern Ukrainian militia. Despite the fact that the agreement was reached a year ago, there have been repeated reports of violations of the deal.
