Merkel says Putin pressured Ukraine rebels to accept ceasefire


BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that Russia's Vladimir Putin had put pressure on the pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire from Sunday, which she said offered a "glimmer of hope" for an end to the bloodshed.

"Towards the end President Putin also put pressure on the separatists so that they agreed for a ceasefire from Saturday at 2400 hours, or Sunday at zero hours," Merkel said in comments to reporters in Minsk that were circulated by her office in Berlin.

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