UPDATE:
Ukraine has now retracted its earlier statement about a cease-fire agreement. A spokesman now says the earlier announcement was too optimistic and didn't accurately characterize the conversation between Ukraine and Russia. From the New York Times:
The office of President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine said Wednesday that he and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had a similar understanding about what was needed to achieve a cease-fire in southeastern Ukraine, but it retracted a statement it had made earlier in the day that said the two men had agreed to a “lasting cease-fire.”The initial statement, posted on the presidential website, went too far in describing the results of a telephone call between the two leaders as having reached a cease-fire, said a spokesman, noting that a revised version would be posted shortly.
The presidents exchanged opinions about a cease-fire, but there was no formal agreement, said the spokesman, who, in line with protocol, did not give his name.
Original story below.
Ukraine's president turned to Twitter early Wednesday morning to announce that a cease-fire agreement with Russia had been reached.
As a result of my telephone conversation with Russian President we reached an agreement on a permanent ceasefire on Donbass.
— Петро Порошенко (@poroshenko) September 3, 2014According to a statement from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office, the agreement came after a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The result of this conversation was the agreement on a permanent cease-fire in the Donbass," the statement said. "There was a mutual understanding on steps that promote peace."
Immediate details were not available.
Ukraine recently accused Russia of sending troops and weaponry into Eastern Ukraine, calling it a slow-motion invasion.
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko makes a statement, at Boryspil airport in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. Poroshenko canceled his visit to Turkey on Thursday due to a "sharp escalation of the situation in the Donetsk region, particularly in Amvrosiivka and Starobeshevo, as Russian forces have entered Ukraine," he said in the statement. (AP Photo/Mikhail Palinchak)
Over the weekend, the European Union leaders agreed to prepare a new round of sanctions that could be enacted in a week, after NATO accused Russia of sending tanks and troops into southeastern Ukraine. A NATO summit in Wales on Thursday is also expected to approve measures designed to counter Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine.
U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Estonia Wednesday morning in a show of solidarity with NATO allies who fear they could be the next target of Russia's aggression.
This story has been updated. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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