– Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced that the major subject of recent negotiations in Minsk on Tuesday was the peaceful settlement of the situation in the eastern regions of Ukraine.

"I can say that the logic of the peace plan was supported by all heads of state, without exception, at long last," Poroshenko told reporters in Minsk.

He said that he had had "very difficult negotiations" during his visit to Minsk.

He thanked EU representatives for the strong support of Ukraine, which was shown during the negotiations. "We have demonstrated that the main goal we arrived in Minsk with was peace," he said.

It is the peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine that was the main goal of the negotiations, he added.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in turn said that the EU supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. "I hope very useful and very important meetings took place today," she said.

In her words, the negotiations focused on two important issues: the establishment of peace and security, in particular, the cessation of hostilities in the east of Ukraine, and the economic aspects of the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.