Fresh summit to discuss Ukraine peace plan

 

                   Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France will meet in Belarus’s capital Minsk on Wednesday to discuss a peace plan for eastern Ukraine, Germany says.
                   The BBC reports that it comes after leaders of the four countries discussed the ongoing conflict by telephone on Sunday.
                  More than 5,000 people have been killed by fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels since April 2014.
Western countries accuse Russia of arming rebels and sending troops to Ukraine – claims Russia denies.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have been leading efforts to establish a new peace plan.
A previous ceasefire deal, signed in Minsk in September, failed after fighting resumed and the rebels seized more ground.

Mr. Hollande said on Saturday the new plan being developed would include a demilitarised zone of 50-70km (31-44 miles) around the current front line.