Russia proposed a peace plan for eastern Ukraine that included a cease-fire by government forces and separatist militiamen, as well as the withdrawal of heavy artillery by both sides.  But the Kremlin claims that Kiev rejected the deal.

“In recent days, Russia has consistently undertaken efforts as an intermediary in regulating the conflict,” said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian president Vladimir Putin, as quoted by state-run media.  “In particular, on Thursday night a written address was sent by the president of Russia to the president of Ukraine, in which a concrete plan was proposed to both sides in the conflict to withdraw heavy artillery.”

Russian TV showed a copy of the proposal sent by Putin to his Ukrainian counterpart President Petro Poroshenko.  In it, Putin proposes “urgent measures for the cessation of mutual shelling, and also the rapid withdrawal by the sides in the conflict of means of destruction with a caliber higher than 100 millimeters”.

But in Kiev, Poroshenko wasn’t looking for a cease-fire as much as he was for victory.  He promised to retake the parts of eastern Ukraine currently controlled by Russian-backed separatists, telling a crowd, “We will not give away one scrap of Ukrainian land.”