ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
United States President Barack Obama says it's too early to know what reports of a ceasefire in Ukraine really mean, and that a truce is only possible if Russia stops intervening in the conflict.
"We haven't seen a lot of follow up on so-called announced ceasefires. Having said that, if, in fact, Russia is prepared to stop financing, arming, training, in many cases joining with Russian troops, activities in Ukraine, and is serious about a political settlement, that is something that we all hope for. I have said consistently that our preference is a strong, productive, co-operative Russia," Obama said in a wide-ranging news conference in Tallinn, Estonia on Wednesday (September 3).
Ukraine said on Wednesday its president had agreed with Russia's Vladimir Putin on steps towards a "ceasefire regime" in Kiev's conflict with pro-Russian rebels, but the Kremlin denied any actual truce deal, sowing confusion on the eve of a NATO summit.
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