Surge In Violence Before Ukraine Peace Talks

Four people have been killed in mortar attacks on a bus station and a metals plant in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk, as peace talks were due to begin in Belarus. In a statement on his website, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko revealed he made an impromptu visit to the war-torn eastern region early on Wednesday. The White House said afterwards Mr Obama warned Vladimir Putin the "costs for Russia will rise" if a peaceful solution is not found. "If Russia continues its