Putin, Poroshenko hold first bilateral meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, as Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (C) stands nearby, in Minsk August 26, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Putin and Poroshenko had a brief conversation at D-Day celebration

MINSK - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, the first one since the latter took office in May, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"A bilateral meeting is underway ... there are very many topics for discussion," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Peskov as saying.

The spokesman said the two leaders would discuss the settlement of the ongoing Ukraine crisis as well as bilateral relations in light of Kiev's signing of the association agreement with the European Union.

The bilateral meeting took place when heads of states of the Customs Union and Ukraine met here to discuss the Ukraine crisis and economic cooperation. Putin and Poroshenko have had a brief conversation at the D-Day celebration ceremony in France this June.