Ivan Saenko, 89, amid the ruins of his house in Ilovaysk. Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses there after rebels encircled the town. Photo: Alexander Ermochenko/EPA
Putin said he hoped Ukraine would take an active role in new talks in Minsk, Belarus, on Friday, towards "a final and comprehensive settlement of the situation in the south-eastern Ukraine, with full and unconditional assurance of the legitimate rights of the people who live there".
Analysts have suggested that the Kremlin may want to establish some kind of quasi-autonomous state in east Ukraine with nominal control from Kiev, in order to have leverage over the pro-European government in the city.
It was unclear if Putin and Poroshenko had actually reached a substantial agreement, and whether Ukrainian society would accept a ceasefire, essentially legitimising rebel gains, if they had. One adviser to a top Ukrainian official told the Guardian that Poroshenko's ceasefire announcement had been "a brainfart" and that "nobody believes in it". There were reports, meanwhile, of fighting around the city of Donetsk.
On Wednesday Yatsenyuk branded Russia a "terrorist state" and said Kiev would build a border

between the two countries. He also said he hoped Ukraine would join Nato's alliance. Putin's plan was "an attempt to confuse the international community" and prevent new sanctions he suggested, offering his own peace plan, comprised of a single point: "Russia withdraws their regular troops, mercenaries and terrorists from Ukrainian territory. Then peace will be reinstated in Ukraine."
Arriving in Estonia on a trip intended to show solidarity with Nato allies before the Wales summit, the US president, Barack Obama, was cautious about the ceasefire news and accused Russia of a "brazen assault" on Ukraine.
"We haven't seen a lot of follow-up on so-called announced ceasefires," Obama said. "Having said that, if in fact Russia is prepared to stop financing, arming, training, in many cases joining, with Russian troops, activities in Ukraine and is serious about a political settlement, that is something we all hope for."
The Pentagon said that 200 US soldiers would take part in a training exercise in western Ukraine starting next week.
On Wednesday, in France, after a defence committee meeting in Paris, the government said that it could not go ahead with the delivery of warships to Russia, citing Moscow's actions in east Ukraine.