Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels agree to ceasefire
Truce to begin at 14:00 GMT after successful negotiations in Minsk
Updated : 14:30
Ukrainian officials and pro-Russian separatists have reached an agreement for a ceasefire, after holding negotiations in Minsk.
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said the two delegations had agreed a preliminary protocol to start a ceasefire, which was set to begin at 14:00 GMT on Friday, despite reports of overnight fighting around the eastern Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Mariupol.
Leaders of the EU, however, are expected to go ahead with their plan to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the conflict.
Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, Russian ambassador to Ukraine, Mikhail Zurabov, and leaders of the self-proclaimed "people's republics" in Donetsk and Luhansk attended peace talks in Minsk and agreed to bring "active offensive operations" to a halt.