Four-way talks on Ukraine commence

The European Union (EU), Russia, the US and Ukraine Thursday began talks in Geneva to discuss the ongoing crisis in the former Soviet republic.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived Thursday to join the high-level talks with his counterparts, Xinhua reported.

EU high representative for foreign affairs and security Catherine Ashton, US Secretary of State John Kerry and acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya had arrived in Geneva Wednesday.

Top diplomats from the four nations sat at one table for the first time since the crisis began in the Eastern European country.

A new wave of unrest recently erupted in three eastern states of Ukraine, where pro-Russia protestors staged rallies calling for federalism in the country or joining the Russian Federation.

Some government buildings were stormed and have been occupied since April 6.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders signed a treaty March 18 to make Crimea part of Russian territory, with almost 97 percent of voters on the peninsula backing secession from Ukraine in a referendum.

Earlier this week, Kiev started military operations against the pro-Russia militants occupying government buildings in eastern Ukraine.