Pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine will until Friday morning honor a cease-fire declared by President Petro Poroshenko.  It’s hoped that these few days will give the rebels and the government in Kiev time to come up with some sort of deal that will end the fighting.

Despite protests, rebel leaders from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions sat down for talks with the government.  Russia’s Ambassador was also there, as were European mediators from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) security organization. 

The militants say they will not lay down their weapons until Ukrainian troops leave the east.  They still control several government buildings and facilities, and have declared their regions to be independent.  Fighting in the east has led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of people being routed from their homes.