Kiev, rebels agree to one- day truce

Officials hope it will lead to longer peace

KYIV — A one- day truce announced by Ukraine’s president will serve as a test to see if the fighting in eastern Ukraine against Russianbacked separatists can be halted, a military spokesman said Friday.

President Petro Poroshenko’s declaration of a break next Tuesday in the fighting marks a new attempt to revive a September ceasefire that has been violated almost daily.

Spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the “day of silence” would demonstrate the degree of coordination possible within rebel forces — an apparent reference to reports of schisms among the separatists.

Speaking in Basel, Switzerland, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the truce could help build a more lasting peace. Lavrov said it was brokered with the help of Russian military experts at Poroshenko’s invitation and “is linked to create a dividing line between the ( warring) parties.”

He said he sees an increasing role for the monitoring team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“We will be in contact with both Ukrainian forces and the rebels to persuade everyone to respect the agreements, as well as everything else that was agreed upon in Minsk,” Lavrov said, referring to the little-respected ceasefire agreement signed in the capital of Belarus in September.

Separatist rebel leaders have agreed to the truce terms, the Russian news agency Interfax reported Friday.

Despite many initiatives, fighting remains intense in eastern Ukraine. Lysenko said Friday that six Ukrainian soldiers had died in the previous day’s combat.