Russia ready to discuss concrete ways to cease fire in eastern Ukraine

MOSCOW - Russia is ready to hold constructive negotiations with partners so as to achieve agreements for settling the situation in eastern Ukraine, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is currently visiting Kiev, would not come with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Moscow on Friday, Tass news agency quoted Ushakov as saying.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also confirmed the tripartite talks in Moscow initially planned at 5 p.m. Moscow time (1400 GMT) on Friday.

Leaders of Russia, France and Germany are to discuss particular measures that could be taken by the three countries to "contribute to the speedy end of the civil war in Ukraine which significantly deteriorated and led to multiple casualties in the recent days," Peskov said.