Live video feeds from Minsk show journalists crowding together in anticipation of something. It appears an announcement of some sort may be looming.
From our newsroom:
A tense summit in Minsk between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France dragged on into the early hours of February 12 as they wrangled over a plan to end 10 months of fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The meeting in the Belarusian capital is being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande.
Before the four-way talks began, Poroshenko was quoted as saying they were the last chance to end the conflict.
According to the Interfax news agency, he said: "Either there is deescalation, a cease-fire, and a withdrawal of heavy weapons, or the situation gets out of control."
By 0300 local time (0100 Prague time) the talks had entered their their eight hour and the four leaders remained shut in a meeting room in Minsk's presidential palace without their advisors.
Ukrainian presidential aide Valeriy Chaly said in a Facebook post that the talks could continue for at least another five to six hours.
Chaly said, "we should not leave here without an agreement on an unconditional cease-fire. There's a battle of nerves under way."
Earlier, a senior Ukrainian diplomatic source told French news agency AFP that the talks were making "progress" but also proving "very hard."
Another source close to the discussions had said the leaders hoped to sign a joint statement calling for the fulfilment of an earlier failed peace plan signed by Kyiv and the rebels in September, also in Minsk.
At just past 0700 local time, talks are ongoing in Minsk.