MOSCOW, September 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia hopes the United States and the European Union will support efforts to cease fire and start a national dialogue in Ukraine by concrete deeds, Russia’s Ambassador to OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Andrei Kelin told an OSCE meeting on Ukraine on Thursday.

“The final agreements between Kiev and representatives of south-east Ukraine could be reached and fixed at the Contact Group’s meeting on September 5,” Kelin said.

“We consider it to be the turning point. The initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin is designed to help Kiev and Ukraine’s south-east to coordinate necessary actions to deescalate the situation in Ukraine. We hope that Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk are going to hear these calls,” Kelin said, adding that Russia was ready to make practical steps towards deescalation jointly with the OSCE.

"We expect the Contact Group scheduled to meet tomorrow to achieve real progress. We hope that this time the United States and the European Union are going to support efforts designed to establish a ceasefire and start a substantive national dialogue,” Kelin added.