Ukraine is awaiting a clear sign of the readiness of Russia and "the separatists" to begin peace talks in the east, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said.

"We need a consistent and clear message, in particular from Russia, in order to negotiate with the separatists," he told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday after having met with Italian Foreign Minister Frederica Mogherini.

The message is essential for the discussion of a bilateral ceasefire with the separatists and for the Trilateral Contact Group to try to continue the complicated but necessary dialogue, he said.

In the words of Klimkin, the peace plan of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is not just a set of measures and ideas but a framework consisting of vital elements.