Ukraine's president dissolves parliament

Ukraine's president has dissolved parliament and called for early elections in October as his country continues to battle a pro-Russian uprising in its eastern regions.Petro Poroshenko announced on Monday in a statement posted on his website that he has dissolved parliament and called for snap elections on October 26.

"Many deputies who are in the Rada [parliament] are direct sponsors or accomplices, that is to say allies of the militant separatists," said Poroshenko.He said the move was in coherence with the Ukrainian constitution, noting that the ruling coalition collapsed several weeks ago.

The announcement came a day ahead of a summit that includes both Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and could be aimed at pressuring Ukraine into seeking a negotiated end to the conflict rather than a military victory.Over the past month, Ukrainian forces have made substantial inroads against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, taking control of several si