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US welcomes Ukraine ceasefire deal
US welcomes Ukraine ceasefire deal.The US welcomed the ceasefire deal reached following peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in Minsk, to put an end to the fighting in Ukraine, a White House statement said Thursday.
Washington: The US welcomed the ceasefire deal reached following peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in Minsk, to put an end to the fighting in Ukraine, a White House statement said Thursday.
The leaders of the four countries announced that a ceasefire would begin in the strife-torn eastern Ukraine from Sunday, following marathon talks in the Belarusian capital.
The agreement represents a "potentially significant step" towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty, consistent with the agreement signed last September, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, according to a Xinhua report.
The meeting, which lasted for about 17 hours, was focused on securing a ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and creating a demilitarised zone in eastern Ukraine.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the agreement also established a line from which heavy weaponry would be pulled back. Ukraine's pro-Russian rebels have accepted the deal, the leaders said.
Earnest called on all parties to carry out the accord and the agreement signed last September "fully and without delay".
"The true test of today's accord will be in its full and unambiguous implementation, including the durable end of hostilities and the restoration of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia," the White House spokesman said.
The statement also expressed concerns about the escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine Thursday, which it said "is inconsistent with the spirit of the accord".
Heavy weapons must be withdrawn from the conflict zone, and Russia must end its support for the separatists and withdraw its soldiers and military equipment from eastern Ukraine, according to Earnest.
The peace talks that began Wednesday has been considered as the high point of intensive multilateral efforts aimed at finding a way out of the crisis in Ukraine, where more than 5,300 people have been killed since April last year.
