RFE/RL correspondent Andrei Babitsky is in Luhansk, which has been one of the flashpoints of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. He sent these pictures showing a city in a state of limbo.
Fragile Calm Reigns In Luhansk, Ukraine
From our news desk:
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss implementation of Kyiv's association agreement with the EU.
Following the meeting in Kyiv July 1, Poroshenko reaffirmed Ukraine's intention to hold consultations July 11 with representatives from the EU, Ukraine, and Russia over economic aspects of implementation of the agreement.
Poroshenko told reporters "our position on the essence of the agreement is clear: it cannot be discussed. But we can discuss its stages, primarily, as far as standardization is concerned.”
Ukraine and the EU signed an association accord in March 21 and a free-trade deal June 27 despite Russia's objections.
The president's press office said that the two sides also agreed to closely coordinate their further efforts on Ukraine's European integration and to stabilize the situation in Donbas.
The EU divisions over the South Stream pipeline continue:
Hungary says it will build its part of Gazprom's South Stream gas pipeline that bypasses Ukraine to supply Europe.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said July 1 in Serbia that "those who say we shouldn't build South Stream should make an alternative proposal about how we could live without energy."
Orban's comments underscore divisions within the EU over the pipeline, due to cross the Black Sea, Serbia, and Hungary to Austria.
The European Commission has called on EU states to resist Kremlin pressure over the project, saying the contracts Gazprom has signed breach the bloc's competition rules.
Bulgaria last month froze its South Stream construction work.
But Austria’s OMV energy company and Gazprom on June 24 signed a contract to build the Austrian section.
Serbia on June 17 reconfirmed its commitment to the project.
From our news desk:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Poroshenko's decision not to extend the truce started “a new cycle of bloodshed with consequences unpredictable for the Ukrainian state.”
The Foreign Ministry said Lavrov made the comments during a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
It said Kerry gave assurance on Washington's desire to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict but "acknowledged differences in the approaches on how to achieve this."
From our news desk:
Citing French diplomatic sources, reports say the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany are to meet in Berlin on July 2 to discuss the Ukrainian crisis.
The news comes after the Ukrainian government forces resumed their assault on pro-Russian separatists in the east after a 10-day truce failed to resolve the crisis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko "took upon himself the responsibility for unleashing battle actions in Ukraine."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Poroshenko's decision not to extend the cease-fire started “a new cycle of bloodshed with consequences unpredictable for the Ukrainian state.”
The Foreign Ministry said Lavrov made the comments during a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Barring any major developments that ends our live blogging for today.
Unconfirmed reports of fighting outside Luhansk