Five killed in Ukraine fighting as peace talks falter

KIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Five Ukrainian soldiers were killed this week after a relatively quiet period of ceasefire, bring pessimism to plans for another round of peace talks with pro-Russian separatists.

The five were killed, and seven injured, in incidents Thursday, Ukrainian spokesman Col. Andriy Lysenko said Friday. They were the first reported casualties after a 24-hour "day of silence" last week turned into a weeklong halt in combat, in accordance with an often-violated ceasefire agreement signed in September. Prior to last week, over 4,000 people had been killed in clashes, the United Nations reported.

Plans to begin discussions to revive the peace discussions have stalled, with Ukrainian, separatist, Russian and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) representatives unable to arrange a meeting, scheduled tentatively for Sunday, in Minsk, Belarus. The opposing sides are eager to exchange prisoners and reduce the collateral consequences of the combat.

The OSCE announced Thursday it would extend its mandate to monitor checkpoints at Donetsk and Gukovo for three more months, observing transit over the Ukraine-Russia border.

"The sides are in discussion mode" over plans for the meeting, an unidentified separatist spokeswoman said.

OSCE mediation has not yet brought the parties to the bargaining table, Denys Pushylin, a spokesman for the separatist group Donetsk People's Republic said.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Kiev on Friday to discuss the negotiation plans with the Ukrainian government, his ministry said.