Pro-Russia forces say will respect ‘indefinite’ truce with Kiev
Pro-Russia forces have reportedly agreed to abide by a ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Kiev, which is aimed at stopping violence in eastern Ukraine ahead of the Christmas and New York holidays.
The “indefinite truce” went into effect at midnight Saturday (Friday 2200 GMT), according to Denis Pushilin, who heads the Council of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine.
The deal between Kiev and pro-Russia forces was reached with the help of Moscow and European monitors and is expected to last through at least the holiday season.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed the move as an important step towards a lasting peace.
“I expect that thanks to these measures, which come on the eve of the New Year and Christmas holidays, this ceasefire in eastern Ukraine will be a lasting one,” Poroshenko said in a statement.
Ex-Soviet republics celebrate Orthodox Christmas on January 7.
The news came a day after Alexander Hug of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the implementation of Minsk truce deal in Ukraine’s east, warned of a “massive upsurge in violence” in the volatile region.
On Thursday, Hug said the organization had recorded a 75-percent increase in the number of ceasefire violations in recent weeks, adding that Ukrainian forces have lost at least eight soldiers since Sunday.
The broad ceasefire deal was struck in February 2015 between Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, in Belarus’ capital, Minsk.
The accord, known as Minsk II, reduced the hostilities on the ground, but the OSCE says the two sides no longer respect clauses in the deal which prohibit them from using certain heavy weapons.
Thousands have been killed since the conflict began in Ukraine’s industrial east more than two years ago. The clashes followed some deep political developments in Kiev, where a Russian-backed government was ousted in 2014 to give the country’s pro-Western forces the opportunity to seize power.
Kiev and Western governments have accused Russia of having a major hand in the conflict. Moscow denies the allegation.
Kiev and pro-Russians had agreed to a similar New Year's truce agreement last year, which lasted only several weeks. The last ceasefire between the two sides was reached on September 1 and largely held until this month.
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