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| Cease-Fire Agreement for Eastern Ukraine Is Reached | Cease-Fire Agreement for Eastern Ukraine Is Reached |
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| KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian government forces and the pro-Russian separatist rebels fighting them in eastern Ukraine will observe a cease-fire starting Friday, negotiators from all sides announced at a news conference in Minsk, Belarus. | |
| However, the strength of the truce was immediately called into question by continued fighting around Mariupol, a port city in southeastern Ukraine. | However, the strength of the truce was immediately called into question by continued fighting around Mariupol, a port city in southeastern Ukraine. |
| Speaking from Minsk, negotiators representing the Ukrainian government, the separatists, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said that the cease-fire was due to come into force at 6 p.m. local time. | Speaking from Minsk, negotiators representing the Ukrainian government, the separatists, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said that the cease-fire was due to come into force at 6 p.m. local time. |
| President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine confirmed in messages posted on Twitter that the there was agreement on a cease-fire protocol. | President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine confirmed in messages posted on Twitter that the there was agreement on a cease-fire protocol. |
| “The whole world is striving for peace, the whole of Ukraine is striving for peace, including millions of citizens in Donbass,” the posting said, referring to the region that includes the separatist strongholds. | “The whole world is striving for peace, the whole of Ukraine is striving for peace, including millions of citizens in Donbass,” the posting said, referring to the region that includes the separatist strongholds. |
| “The highest value is human life, and we must do everything possible to stop the bloodshed and put an end to suffering,” the Twitter posting said. | “The highest value is human life, and we must do everything possible to stop the bloodshed and put an end to suffering,” the Twitter posting said. |
| The announcement had been expected, after both Mr. Poroshenko and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said earlier this week that they expected a truce to emerge from the talks in Minsk. | The announcement had been expected, after both Mr. Poroshenko and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said earlier this week that they expected a truce to emerge from the talks in Minsk. |
| The agreement consisted of 14 points, including the exchange of hostages, according to an initial news bulletin from the Interfax Ukraine news agency before the official announcement from the envoys involved. | The agreement consisted of 14 points, including the exchange of hostages, according to an initial news bulletin from the Interfax Ukraine news agency before the official announcement from the envoys involved. |
| Mr. Putin offered an outline for a cease-fire agreement on Wednesday before the talks began, starting with “end active offensive operations” on both sides, that he said he hoped would be accepted by all parties at the talks. | Mr. Putin offered an outline for a cease-fire agreement on Wednesday before the talks began, starting with “end active offensive operations” on both sides, that he said he hoped would be accepted by all parties at the talks. |
| His plan included a call for Ukrainian artillery to pull back out of range of the eastern separatists’ strongholds; an end to airstrikes; an exchange of all captives; the opening of humanitarian corridors for residents of the separatist areas; repairing damaged infrastructure; and deploying international observers to monitor the cease-fire. | His plan included a call for Ukrainian artillery to pull back out of range of the eastern separatists’ strongholds; an end to airstrikes; an exchange of all captives; the opening of humanitarian corridors for residents of the separatist areas; repairing damaged infrastructure; and deploying international observers to monitor the cease-fire. |
| Ukraine and many Western observers have accused Russia of backing the rebels with fighters and matériel, and of moving its own troops into Ukrainian territory to support the rebels. Mr. Putin and his government have denied those accusations and insisted that Russia is not a party to the conflict. | Ukraine and many Western observers have accused Russia of backing the rebels with fighters and matériel, and of moving its own troops into Ukrainian territory to support the rebels. Mr. Putin and his government have denied those accusations and insisted that Russia is not a party to the conflict. |
| Welcoming Mr. Putin’s proposal, Mr. Poroshenko said when the talks began in Minsk that Ukrainian soldiers would observe a cease-fire agreement. Some separatist leaders said they would respect it, but others rejected it. The separatists also demanded that all Ukrainian forces withdraw completely from the disputed area. | Welcoming Mr. Putin’s proposal, Mr. Poroshenko said when the talks began in Minsk that Ukrainian soldiers would observe a cease-fire agreement. Some separatist leaders said they would respect it, but others rejected it. The separatists also demanded that all Ukrainian forces withdraw completely from the disputed area. |
| The Ukrainian military spokesman, Col. Andriy Lysenko of the National Security and Defense Council, said on Friday that Russian-backed forces were moving tanks, artillery and other heavy equipment toward the village near Mariupol, and that Russia was also beginning to mass troops along the neck of land connecting the rest of Ukraine with the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in March. The colonel said the movements were meant to threaten Mariupol from two sides. | The Ukrainian military spokesman, Col. Andriy Lysenko of the National Security and Defense Council, said on Friday that Russian-backed forces were moving tanks, artillery and other heavy equipment toward the village near Mariupol, and that Russia was also beginning to mass troops along the neck of land connecting the rest of Ukraine with the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in March. The colonel said the movements were meant to threaten Mariupol from two sides. |
| The Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti quoted unidentified separatist sources as saying that a group of its armored vehicles had entered Mariupol, but Colonel Lysenko denied the report, saying government forces were fully in control of the city. | The Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti quoted unidentified separatist sources as saying that a group of its armored vehicles had entered Mariupol, but Colonel Lysenko denied the report, saying government forces were fully in control of the city. |
| The renewed violence came as NATO leaders, seeking to counter Russian aggression, approved plans for a rapid-reaction force in Eastern Europe that could mobilize if an alliance country in the region came under attack. | The renewed violence came as NATO leaders, seeking to counter Russian aggression, approved plans for a rapid-reaction force in Eastern Europe that could mobilize if an alliance country in the region came under attack. |
| “Should you even think of attacking one ally, you will be facing the whole alliance,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s secretary general, said at the meeting in Newport, Wales, according to The Associated Press. Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, alliance nations in Central and Eastern Europe have expressed alarm at the Russian-backed separatists’ fight for control of regions in eastern Ukraine. | “Should you even think of attacking one ally, you will be facing the whole alliance,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s secretary general, said at the meeting in Newport, Wales, according to The Associated Press. Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, alliance nations in Central and Eastern Europe have expressed alarm at the Russian-backed separatists’ fight for control of regions in eastern Ukraine. |
| Ukrainian forces have suffered heavy setbacks in the last two weeks, with the separatists breaking out of their isolation in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as opening a third front along the strategic southern coast around Mariupol. | Ukrainian forces have suffered heavy setbacks in the last two weeks, with the separatists breaking out of their isolation in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as opening a third front along the strategic southern coast around Mariupol. |
| There is some fear that the southern front is designed to win Russia a land route to Crimea, which it now lacks. But analysts say they believe that Moscow orchestrated the new offensive mainly to underscore to Mr. Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, that it will do whatever is needed to ensure that the separatists are not defeated, and thus force him to come to terms. | There is some fear that the southern front is designed to win Russia a land route to Crimea, which it now lacks. But analysts say they believe that Moscow orchestrated the new offensive mainly to underscore to Mr. Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, that it will do whatever is needed to ensure that the separatists are not defeated, and thus force him to come to terms. |
| Although some Ukrainians reject the idea of compromise, the majority are weary of upheaval. The current crisis started with demonstrations in Kiev, the capital, last November that resulted in the overthrow of the Russian-allied government and, eventually, a conflict in the east in which more than 2,600 people have died, by the United Nations’ count. | Although some Ukrainians reject the idea of compromise, the majority are weary of upheaval. The current crisis started with demonstrations in Kiev, the capital, last November that resulted in the overthrow of the Russian-allied government and, eventually, a conflict in the east in which more than 2,600 people have died, by the United Nations’ count. |
| The political outcome of the conflict was not included in the cease-fire proposals. Russia has been pressing for regional autonomy for the southeastern regions, a status that would allow it to influence events in Kiev. But the Ukrainian government has thus far supported only the idea of decentralization. | The political outcome of the conflict was not included in the cease-fire proposals. Russia has been pressing for regional autonomy for the southeastern regions, a status that would allow it to influence events in Kiev. But the Ukrainian government has thus far supported only the idea of decentralization. |
| With the NATO meeting in Wales largely focused on events in Ukraine, the government in Kiev tried on Friday to spotlight Russia’s direct involvement in fighting in the east. An estimated 2,000 Russian soldiers have died in the fighting, Colonel Lysenko told a briefing in Kiev. He gave no basis nor time frame for that figure, which could not be independently verified. He said a convoy of seven vehicles carrying dead and wounded soldiers had crossed from Ukraine into Russia on Thursday evening. | With the NATO meeting in Wales largely focused on events in Ukraine, the government in Kiev tried on Friday to spotlight Russia’s direct involvement in fighting in the east. An estimated 2,000 Russian soldiers have died in the fighting, Colonel Lysenko told a briefing in Kiev. He gave no basis nor time frame for that figure, which could not be independently verified. He said a convoy of seven vehicles carrying dead and wounded soldiers had crossed from Ukraine into Russia on Thursday evening. |
| There has been an outcry in Russia among military families over the lack of information about soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Some Russians have accused the government of resorting to hiding the information much as it did during the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. But estimates of those killed and wounded have been far lower than the figure mentioned by Colonel Lysenko. | There has been an outcry in Russia among military families over the lack of information about soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Some Russians have accused the government of resorting to hiding the information much as it did during the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. But estimates of those killed and wounded have been far lower than the figure mentioned by Colonel Lysenko. |