MOSCOW — The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart at an Aug 26 meeting in Minsk, Belarus.
Pro-Russian militants patrol along a road near Donetsk on Monday. Ukraine accused pro-Russian rebels of shelling a convoy of civilians fleeing the war-torn east, leaving "many" dead, as crisis talks to halt months of bloodshed failed to make a breakthrough. (AFP photo)
In a statement published on its website Tuesday, the Kremlin said Mr Putin would meet with the Ukrainian president, as well as officials from the European Commission and the Eurasian Customs Union, which is comprised of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who confirmed the news in a statement, said that "stabilising the situation'' in eastern Ukraine would be a key topic of discussion.
Mr Putin and Mr Poroshenko have not met since early June. The death toll in fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Kiev's forces in eastern Ukraine has claimed more than 2,000 lives.