The presidents of Ukraine and Russia appeared to backtrack from an announcement, made only hours earlier, of an agreement on a "permanent ceasefire" to the violence between government and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, tweeted: "As a result of my telephone conversation with the Russian president we reached an agreement on a permanent ceasefire on Donbass."
However, a statement published on the President's website excluded the word "permanent".
"The parties reached mutual understanding on the steps that will facilitate the establishment of peace," the statement read.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, told Russian news agencies that no such agreement had been made, but the two leaders had instead "discussed how to end the conflict".
"Putin and Poroshenko really discussed the steps that would contribute to a ceasefire between the militia and the Ukrainian forces. Russia cannot physically agree to a ceasefire because it is not a party to the conflict," the spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Commenting on the confusion, the US President Barack Obama said:
Earlier on Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, tweeted: "As a result of my telephone conversation with the Russian president we reached an agreement on a permanent ceasefire on Donbass."
However, a statement published on the President's website excluded the word "permanent".
"The parties reached mutual understanding on the steps that will facilitate the establishment of peace," the statement read.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, told Russian news agencies that no such agreement had been made, but the two leaders had instead "discussed how to end the conflict".
"Putin and Poroshenko really discussed the steps that would contribute to a ceasefire between the militia and the Ukrainian forces. Russia cannot physically agree to a ceasefire because it is not a party to the conflict," the spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Commenting on the confusion, the US President Barack Obama said:
"We haven't seen a lot of follow-up on so-called announced ceasefire. Having said that, if in fact Russia is prepared to stop financing, arming, training – in many cases joining with Russian troops – activities in Ukraine and is serious about a political settlement, that is something we all hope for."