Fighting rages on in eastern Ukraine, even as leaders prepare for peace talks. Officials in Kiev said 19 Ukrainian soldiers were killed today in battles with pro-Russian separatists in the hotly contested region.
The peace talks in the Belarusian capital Minsk are supposed to focus on securing a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the creation of a demilitarized zone. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the fighting since April 2013, and earlier attempts to stop the violence have failed.
The BBC’s David Stern joins Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd from Kiev with details on the peace talks.
Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.
Guest
- David Stern, correspondent for the BBC in Ukraine. He tweets @loydstern.
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