Talks to be held in Kyiv in an effort to end violence

Ukrainian parliament scheduled round table talks in Kyiv for May 14 to find a negotiated settlement to the crisis in the east of the country, according to the parliament press-release. The talks will include members of the interim government, former presidents of Ukraine, candidates for president position and governors and heads of regional councils in Ukraine. Pro-Russian separatists have so far refused to take part, according to a news story from the BBC on Wednesday

The move is part of a “roadmap” drawn up by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation and Europe (OSCE). The OSCE – a security and rights monitoring group drawn from European countries – said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported its initiative. The Vienna-based group named veteran German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger as a moderator for Wednesday’s talks.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, currently visiting Ukraine, said he hoped that Wednesday’s talks would lead to the separatists disarming and would also improve the atmosphere for presidential elections on 25 May. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in Berlin, said the more representative the talks were, the better. She added: “Clearly, people are only welcome if they can credibly show that they are prepared to reach their goals without violence.”

In an effort to defuse tensions, the Kiev-appointed governor of Donetsk region Serhiy Taruta, said on Tuesday that Ukraine was planning a national referendum on devolving more power to regions.