CRI听力:Ukrainian Govt. and Rebels Start Talks

Representatives from the Ukrainian government and the rebels have started peace talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk.

The talks come as government forces have suffered a series of setbacks in recent offensive by the rebels.

Andrei Purgin is the Deputy Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine.

"We brought initial proposals for starting some consultative and at later time a negotiating process. There are a lot of issues, 8 - 9, including prisoners-of-war, humanitarian missions and so on. In other words, now we will have an exchange of documents, from the Ukrainian side and from our side, an exchange of views where we can have some points of contact and at some stage become fellow travelers."

The rebels have softened their demand for full independence, saying they will respect Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for autonomy.

On the ground, the rebels have pushed government forces from an airport in Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city.

Kiev is accusing Russia of providing direct support for the rebels, a claim Russia denies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Kiev's leadership for refusing to enter into direct political talks with the rebels.

Some 26-hundred people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since the fighting began in April.