‘Russia sent in miltary’: Ukraine leader

President Petro Poroshenko told the crowd that Russian Federation has sent more troops to the east, sabre-rattling ahead of key talks in Berlin later.

Activists in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv claimed Sunday to have painted a local Soviet war monument in Ukraine’s national colors – blue and yellow – to mark the country’s upcoming independence day.

Poroshenko is due to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Berlin later on Monday, where the leaders are expected to discuss ways of tackling the latest wave of refugees entering Europe and the conflict in Ukraine.

Moscow has denied supporting the separatists with weapons and troops.

Merkel and Hollande met Putin and Poroshenko in the Belarusian capital Minsk in February, emerging with a peace deal that promised to end the fighting quickly and resolve all political disputes by the end of the year. The death toll in the 16-month-long war is now close to 6900.

The Western-backed official also stated that 50,000 Russian soldiers are now stationed at the country’s border with Ukraine, further alleging that around 9,000 Russian servicemen have joined the ranks of pro-Russia forces.

“We’ve existed in the past and now – and will continue to exist”, Poroshenko said in a speech marking Ukraine’s 1991 independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Poroshenko used a flag-raising ceremony in Kyiv on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day to call on all political parties to overcome their doubts and vote in favor of constitutional amendments that would grant special status to separatist-minded parts of eastern Ukraine.

Kiev meanwhile said that the meeting was called on its own initiative and the top issue on the agenda would be coordination of efforts to counter Russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine, including the withdrawal of heavy weaponry and military equipment from the line of contact.

He warned the crowd that the 25th year of independence will be precarious. “May the Virgin Mary intercede for us!” the Pope said.