Berlin and Moscow say some progress was made in talks among the foreign ministers of Russian, Ukraine, Germany and France, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there has been no headway in reaching the main goal of ending the unrest in eastern Ukraine.
Speaking Monday from Berlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said talks the previous evening had resolved all questions about humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
But Lavrov added that the Berlin meeting had made no progress when it came to reaching a cease-fire and a political solution in eastern Ukraine.
The meeting of the four foreign ministers stretched into late Sunday night. Speaking to reporters afterwards, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said it is critical to silence the guns in Ukraine and avoid more victims.
Steinmeier said that while the talks were difficult, he hoped some progress had been achieved. The four foreign ministers were to report back to their capitals and look for ways to continue the discussions.
A restive few days formed the backdrop to the talks. Ukrainian forces said they had advanced into the key rebel-controlled city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian military also said separatists had shot down a government fighter jet, but the pilot had safely ejected.
Meanwhile, trucks from a disputed Russian convoy said to contain humanitarian aid had arrived at a border post controlled by Ukrainian separatists. The Red Cross is to oversee delivery of the supplies.
Moscow denies the trucks carry military material for the rebels, saying the convoy only carries humanitarian goods. Moscow also denied claims by Ukrainian separatists that they had received a large shipment of weapons and armored vehicles.
The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict.
