Presidents confirm participation in Minsk talks

Presidents confirm participation in Minsk talks

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Minsk today for a meeting that will discuss a solution to the Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin has confirmed.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will also travel to Belarus this Wednesday, as will German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

It was announced in Paris that Merkel and Hollande will be in Minsk "to make every effort" in finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he was "confident" that the peace talks in Minsk will lead to a political solution.

"Experts are working. There has been significant progress," the minister said, but declined to reveal any details of the draft agreement, RT reported.

"Presidents do not travel for nothing," the broadcaster also quoted an unnamed source.

A diplomatic source in Russia told Reuters that there was "a 70 percent chance that the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany will reach an agreement."