Russia wanted an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the Sunday morning deadline was agreed in talks in Minsk under pressure from the separatists, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman was quoted as saying Friday.

Russia wanted an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the Sunday morning deadline was agreed in talks in Minsk under pressure from the separatists, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman was quoted as saying Friday.

Russia "supported an immediate ceasefire," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the Kommersant business daily.

He said the agreed date of February 15 was picked on "the wish of the separatists" due to the difficulty of "effectively achieving a simultaneous ceasefire."

The separatists "actively voiced their demands which were necessary to listen to," Peskov said.

He said that Putin "put in quite a bit of effort to persuade the separatists to sign the document."

Putin said Thursday that the talks were prolonged because Kiev refused to speak to the rebels directly.