the bulk of Russian forces had withdrawn from Ukrainian territory,

Mr. Poroshenko appeared to be trying to create a sense of momentum around the peace process, even though a final outcome remains the subject of arduous negotiations. The very law he discussed, for example, has been the source of widely different interpretations.

She also stressed that the path to solving the Ukraine crisis would be “long and rocky.”

At least 14 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday, sparking condemnation from President Hamid Karzai, who has often criticized the conduct of NATO forces.

Civilian casualties in the U.S.-led military coalition’s war against the Taliban have been one of the most contentious issues in the 13-year combat campaign that will end by December. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) made no immediate comment on Tuesday's airstrike, but it often stresses avoiding civilian casualties.

"Four of our villagers were on their way back home from work when airplanes bombed them," he told AFP. "When people went to the area to collect their bodies or take the wounded people to hospital, we were bombed again. Dozens of people, including women and children were killed, or wounded."