- Moscow and Kiev have agreed to a "full ceasefire," spokesman for Ukraine's president says
- "They also reached mutual understanding on steps that would lead to peace," statement says
- No more details or time frame were immediately available on the ceasefire plan
- Official: European Union will propose new sanctions against Russia by the end of the week
Talinn, Estonia (CNN) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russia's President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine following a phone call Wednesday, Poroshenko's office said.
The move could be a significant step toward ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been battling pro-Russia rebels who Kiev and the West say are supported by Moscow.
"The result of the conversation was an agreement on a full ceasefire in Donbas [eastern Ukraine]. They also reached mutual understanding on steps that would lead to peace," said a spokesman for Poroshenko.
No more details or time frame were made available, and CNN's attempts to reach Russian authorities in Moscow to confirm were not immediately successful.
Russian state news agency Itar-Tass quoted Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying after the conversation that the two leaders' views on ending the crisis "largely coincide."
"The heads of state exchanged their views on top priority measures for stopping the bloodshed in that country's south-east, and [Putin's] view on possible ways out of this crisis situation largely coincides with that of the Ukrainian president," Peskov is quoted as saying.
Putin has consistently argued that Russia has no say over ending the conflict because it is not involved in the conflict on the ground.
But U.S. and NATO officials say that in recent days Russia has sent troops and heavy weaponry into Ukraine, as well as training and arming the rebels over the course of weeks.
News of the potential ceasefire came shortly after an EU spokeswoman said the European Union would put forward proposals on new sanctions against Russia on Wednesday as it seeks to soften Moscow's stance on the crisis in Ukraine.
Consideration of the new sanctions is a priority for member states, and the new package will be ready by the end of the week, Maja Kocijancic told CNN.
The proposals will include "sanctions on additional individuals and entities linked to Ukrainian separatists," said Kocijancic, the spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
It will also include a "deepening of the economic measures against Russia, including its access to the financial markets," she said.
President Barack Obama is visiting Estonia, a former Soviet state, on Wednesday ahead of this week's NATO summit in Wales.
The trip is meant to reassure nervous Eastern Europe that Putin's support for separatists in Ukraine doesn't mean he has a free pass for territorial gains elsewhere.
CNN's Matthew Chance reported from Talinn and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Phil Black, Alexander Felton and journalist Victoria Butenko contributed to this report.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1nVI9Ul
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