Feb. 12, 2015 (Bloomberg) -- The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France agreed on a cease-fire to stem the conflict that’s devastated eastern Ukraine and triggered the worst crisis in more than 20 years between Russia and its former Cold War foes.
“We agreed on the main things” Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. “We expect all sides to show restraint until a full cease-fire.”
The accord was struck early Thursday after all-night talks between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. The deal envisages a truce starting at midnight at the start of Feb. 15 and reaffirms some commitments from a failed September bid to end the conflict.
The collapse of previous cease-fires has stoked skepticism as to whether this one will hold. Ten months of fighting have killed more than 5,000 people, ravaged Ukraine’s economy and propelled Russia toward recession through U.S. and European sanctions. Raising pressure to deliver a settlement, the run-up to the summit was accompanied by escalating violence and calls for the U.S. to supplying weapons to Ukraine’s struggling army.
“The conflict will continue, even with this agreement,” Joerg Forbrig, a senior program director at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, said by phone. “Eastern Ukraine is now basically lost to central government control.”