Russia warns of ‘new round of bloodshed’ in Ukraine

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov urged a halt to

Ukraine's military operation against separatist rebels in the east in a telephone call with US Secretary of State John Kerry today, warning of "a new round of bloodshed."

"Lavrov stressed that the decision by (Ukrainian) President Petro Poroshenko not to extend the ceasefire ... unleashes a new round of bloodshed, with unpredictable consequences for the Ukrainian state," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said Mr Kerry had given assurance, during a call initiated by the US side, on Washington’s desire to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict but “acknowledged differences in the approaches on how to achieve this.”

Reuters