Ukraine's embattled leaders have launched round-table talks as part of a Western-backed push to prevent the country falling apart, vowing they will not bow to "blackmail" by pro-Russian rebels waging an insurgency in the east.
The so-called national unity discussions - which crucially do not involve the insurgents - are being held barely two weeks before Ukraine holds a presidential election.
European leaders have been working to bring Kiev and pro-Moscow separatists together under a roadmap sponsored by pan-European security body Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
But Russia bluntly warned that the former Soviet republic was already on the brink of civil war and accused Western mercenaries of operating in Ukraine.
Ukraine's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov said at the round-table talks that Kiev was ready to negotiate with pro-Russians but that the rebels must first lay down their arms.
"We will not yield to blackmail," he said. "We are ready to listen to the people of the east but they must not shoot, loot or occupy government buildings."
The east of Ukraine remains on edge, with deadly violence erupting often as government troops battle against the separatists who have seized over a dozen towns and cities since early April.
European leaders had called for Wednesday's talks to be representative, with OSCE-appointed mediator Wolfgang Ischinger saying they should contribute to an "electoral process that is inclusive, honest and transparent".
The roadmap drawn up by OSCE calls for "restraint from violence, disarmament, national dialogue, and elections".
EU leaders had ramped up the pressure on Russia with new sanctions on Monday, and warned of further "far-reaching" punitive measures if the election fails.
But while voicing support for the plan, Russia has accused Ukraine's authorities of refusing "real dialogue" with the separatists.
It says Kiev must halt its so-called "reprisal raids" if rebels are to comply with the peace initiative, and insists on negotiations over regional rights before the presidential vote.
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