Progress made in Ukraine peace talks: Europe FMs
The foreign ministers of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France say they have made progress in their talks over the peace process in eastern Ukraine.
The negotiations that managed to resolve some contentious issues in the Ukrainian crisis to some extent were held on Saturday in the German capital city of Berlin to pave the way for a summit in France in early October.
After the talks, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the meeting as "less confrontational" compared to previous ones, adding that the warring sides are now "very close" to a deal on withdrawing heavy weapons from the frontline.
The conflict in Ukraine broke out in March 2014 following a referendum in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, in which people voted overwhelmingly for reunification with Russia.
The situation, however, degenerated into a major armed conflict after Kiev dispatched troops to the eastern Ukrainian regions of Lugansk and Donetsk in April 2014 in an attempt to suppress pro-Russia forces there.
A truce deal, dubbed Minsk II, was reached between Ukraine’s warring sides at a summit attended by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on February 11 and 12. The agreement introduced measures such as a ceasefire, which officially went into effect on February 15, the pullout of heavy weapons, and constitutional reforms in Ukraine by the end of the year.
The shaky deal has for some time failed to end the deadly violence in the mainly Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine, with both sides trading accusations of breaching the ceasefire agreement.
However, a total ceasefire was announced in the conflict zone beginning from September 1, and so far has held.
"We all agreed that the new ceasefire of September 1 has been respected and now needs to be further consolidated," Steinmeier stated.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, referred to differences over the controversial issue of holding local elections in east Ukraine, but noted that "the general impression is that these differences can be overcome."
However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said he has always been "skeptical" about the Minsk peace agreement and that “there is no good solution for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin” over the crisis in Ukraine.
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