No special status for east Ukraine without ceasefire - president

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gestures during a news conference in Kiev, Ukraine, January 14, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine will not give its eastern regions greater autonomy until a lasting ceasefire with pro-Russian separatist rebels is in place, President Petro Poroshenko said on Sunday, in comments that could antagonise the rebels and the Kremlin.

Ukraine's parliament had been due to vote this week on legislation to devolve more power to its regions, including the disputed Luhansk and Donetsk areas, as part of a ceasefire agreed between Moscow and Kiev last year.