Putin pledges support for Ukraine cease-fire as fighting continues

Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly expressed support Sunday for Ukraine's declaration of a cease-fire in its battle against pro-Russian separatists and called on both sides to negotiate a compromise.

On a day when Russia and Ukraine commemorated the millions who died during World War II, Putin said such a compromise must guarantee the rights of the Russian-speaking residents of eastern Ukraine, who must feel like they are "an integral part" of their own country. Putin's statement appeared to signal that he sees their future in Ukraine.

Separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions have declared independence and asked to join Russia. Moscow has rebuffed their appeals, but is seen by Ukraine and the West as actively supporting the insurgency.

Putin's conciliatory words came as Russia began large-scale military exercises and after NATO accused Russia of moving troops back toward the Ukrainian border.

Speaking to reporters, Putin said that the military operation in Ukraine was continuing and pointed to artillery fire in Ukraine overnight despite Ukraine's new Western-backed President Petro Poroshenko’s announcement of the week-long cease-fire on Friday.

On Sunday, Ukraine accused eastern separatists of attacking its military bases and posts on the Russian border. Putin said Sunday it was not clear whether artillery was used by the Ukrainian army or the "so-called paramilitary of the right-wing forces" supporting the government. He appeared to attach no blame to separatist forces.

Ukraine's state border service reported further rebel attacks on its posts in Luhansk region on Sunday, while a separatist spokesman said Ukrainian forces were firing mortars at a village near the Russian frontier.

In Donetsk region, which like Luhansk has declared itself a “people's republic,” rebels reported a morning shootout with Ukrainian troops in Siversk, north of the city of Donetsk.

Putin appears determined to keep up the pressure to force the Kiev government to give the eastern industrial regions more powers and to prevent Ukraine from moving too close to the European Union or NATO. But he also wants to avoid more punishing sanctions from the U.S. and particularly from the European Union, whose leaders will meet Friday in Brussels, and therefore needs to be seen as cooperating with efforts to de-escalate the conflict.

On Monday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Russia that the EU was ready to impose stronger sanctions if the 28-member bloc was not satisfied with Russia's response to Poroshenko's peace plan in the coming days.

"A lot of work has gone on on preparing wider sanctions on Russia," Hague told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

"That is for decision on Friday. I think by Friday we will be able to see how Russia is responding to the peace plan," he said.

Putin discussed the cease-fire on Sunday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, Merkel's office and the Kremlin said.

In a three-way telephone conversation, Hollande and Merkel "called on all sides in the conflict to cease hostilities and asked the Russian president to promote the resumption of negotiations," the French leader's office said in a news release.

The release said Hollande and Merkel had "taken note" of Putin's statements after Poroshenko announced the ceasefire.

"Putin backed the decision by [President] Poroshenko to carry out a peace plan," the readout of the phone conversation read, Reuters reported. "It was stressed that the intentions voiced by the head of the Ukrainian state should be backed up with a real cease-fire."

"After the Russian government too referred to the cease-fire in positive terms, the interlocutors emphasized the need for all sides to abide by it now and for a political dialogue to be put in motion," Merkel's office said in a news release. "Another topic of the conversation was the issue of securing the Ukrainian-Russian border."

In Kiev, Poroshenko called for peace, but urged his compatriots to stand strong and united. "It was so during the violent struggle with the Nazis and it should be the same now," he said in his address. "Facing a real threat, we must unite even more and secure our historical choice, defend our right to live freely on our land."

Wire services