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MOSCOW — Ukraine’s leader Thursday condemned Russia’s failure to bring to a halt violence in its rebel east as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned the Kremlin it had “hours to act” to save a ceasefire due to expire Friday.

Petro Poroshenko, the recently elected Ukrainian president, announced a unilateral truce in the conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian forces a week ago.

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Thursday, he said in Strasbourg he might not extend the ceasefire if it appeared rebel groups were simply using it to rearm and regroup.

His stance was confirmed by Mr. Kerry. After a meeting with France’s foreign minister in Paris, the U.S.’s top diplomat said, “We’re in full agreement that it is critical for Russia to show in the next hours, literally, that they’re moving to help disarm the separatists, to encourage them to disarm … and to begin to become part of a legitimate process.”

Mr. Poroshenko said Russia’s support was essential to strike a deal, but help from Moscow had been “completely inadequate” so far.