The leaders of France Germany Russia and Ukraine are to sign a joint declaration following marathon peace talks in Ukraine.<br /><br /> The details of the document are unknown as yet but there is speculation it may include an imminent ceasefire.<br /><br /> The talks which went on throughout Wednesday night were held in Belarus under a Franco -German initiative.<br /><br /> They took place in the same city, Minsk where last September a truce between Ukrainian government troops and pro Russian rebels was agreed but never fully observed by either side.<br /><br /> The conflict has so far claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people and displaced more than one million.<br /><br /> The quartet of leaders are said to have met alone which is an unexpected break with diplomatic procedure but the stakes are high.<br /><br /> The main aims of the talks have been to agree a withdrawal of heavy weapons and a demilitarised buffer zone but above all to establish that elusive ceasefire.
