NEWS FLASH:
Germany: Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France aim to hold summit Wednesday in Minsk.
More from RFE/RL's News Desk:
A German government spokesman says the leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia will hold a summit on the Ukrainian crisis in Minsk on February 11.
The announcement follows a phone conversation early on February 8 between Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Vladimir Putin, and Petro Poroshenko.
Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said the four leaders discussed further measures for a peace plan during what he described as an "extensive" call.
The talks are aimed at settling the 10-month armed conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
A newspaper report on February 8 cited German intelligence sources as saying as many as 50,000 people may have been killed in the conflict.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on February 7 that 6,600 soldiers and civilians have been killed.
Here is today's situation map of eastern Ukraine by the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
From AFP:
The United States on Sunday called on all sides in the Ukraine conflict to refrain from any actions that undercut current peace efforts and voiced concern about renewed "fierce fighting".
"We call on all parties to refrain from actions that undercut the current diplomacy," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who was travelling with Secretary of State John Kerry in Germany.
"We continue to support the ongoing diplomatic efforts by our European colleagues and remain in lockstep that any agreement must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," she said.
The French, German and Ukrainian leaders are planning with Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet Wednesday in an urgent bid to hammer out a peace deal.
The four spoke by phone on Sunday as part of efforts to achieve a "comprehensive settlement" to end 10 months of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels in the east which has cost some 5,400 lives.
"Secretary Kerry will remain closely engaged, as he has over the course of the last few days in Ukraine and Munich, as the discussions continue," Psaki said, referring to Kerry's visits to Kiev and the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Psaki said the United States remained "concerned about the fierce fighting today in Debaltseve and Mariupol, and press references to new Russian convoys into eastern Ukraine.
From RFE/RL's News Desk:
Ukrainian authorities have arrested a journalist for suspected treason after he posted an online video (above) calling on Ukrainians to refuse to be drafted into military service.
Ruslan Kotsaba, a reporter in Ukraine's western city of Ivano-Frankivsk, was taken into custody by Ukraine's SBU security service.
SBU adviser Markian Lubkivskyi announced the arrest February 8 on his Facebook page, saying Kotsaba is suspected of committing acts of treason and espionage.
The arrest comes after Ukraine on January 20 launched its fourth wave of mobilization, sending notices to 100,000 Ukrainians eligible for military service.
On January 17, Kotsaba posted a 12-minute video on social media explaining his objections to military service and calling on fellow Ukrainians to boycott the mobilization.
At least 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in 10 months of fighting against pro-Russian rebels in the country's eastern Donbas region.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry says more than 1,300 criminal investigations have been opened against suspected draft-dodgers.