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| Putin announces cease-fire deal with Ukraine | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — Amid powerful disagreements over the grinding year-long conflict in eastern Ukraine, the warring sides agreed Thursday to a cease-fire beginning Sunday and committed to pulling back heavy weaponry from the front line, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced. | |
| After more than 15 hours of non-stop negotiations, the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France broke without signing a more comprehensive peace agreement, a sign of the difficulty of the negotiations. That raised questions about the durability of any deal, which was to be signed by lower-level representatives and rebel leaders. | |
| “We have agreed on many things,” Putin told reporters in the marble-clad Palace of Independence in Minsk, where the leaders had convened. “We should avoid unnecessary bloodshed while withdrawing heavy weaponry.” | |
| Putin said that the deal included the cease-fire, a promise that Ukraine would implement laws to give rebel-held territories more autonomy, and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the front lines of the conflict – key steps that should calm violence that has spiked in recent weeks to levels not seen since last summer. | |
| But there appeared to be differences about whether Ukrainian troops should give up the rebel-encircled town of Debaltseve, to what extent the Ukrainian government would recognize rebel authorities and the precise territory to be given autonomy. | |
| The talks had appeared to run into trouble Thursday after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the Russian side presented “unacceptable” conditions, according to the French news agency Agence France Presse. | |
| The outcome of the high-level summit could decide if a shaky peace takes hold there or a much wider war breaks out. The U.S. and some European allies could potentially supply arms to Ukraine in the conflict. | |
| Negotiations in Minsk went through the night between Putin, Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande amid some of the heaviest fighting to date in eastern Ukraine. Top officials described the extraordinary summit as the final chance to avert an even harsher escalation. | |
| But the extraordinary length of the talks was a sign of the intractable differences between the sides. Even if an agreement is reached, it remains unclear whether it can be implemented on the ground. | But the extraordinary length of the talks was a sign of the intractable differences between the sides. Even if an agreement is reached, it remains unclear whether it can be implemented on the ground. |
| “The entire world is waiting to see whether the situation moves toward de-escalation, weapons pullback, cease-fire or spins out of control,” Poroshenko said in the marbled Hall of Independence in Minsk, ahead of the negotiations. He told his cabinet that he was poised to declare martial law if the talks failed. | |
| A top Poroshenko aide, Valeriy Chaly, later said that the Ukrainians did not intend to leave without an unconditional cease-fire. | A top Poroshenko aide, Valeriy Chaly, later said that the Ukrainians did not intend to leave without an unconditional cease-fire. |
| “The battle of nerves is on,” he wrote on Facebook. | “The battle of nerves is on,” he wrote on Facebook. |
| The discussions were “not easy,” a spokesman for German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote on Twitter Thursday morning, as he delayed a planned trip to Brazil to stay in Minsk. | |
| Leaders have said they were working from the outlines of a September cease-fire deal that was never fully implemented and that evaporated completely in recent weeks. The death toll has more than doubled since that failed accord, to more than 5,400, according to U.N. estimates, and rebels have captured hundreds of square miles of additional territory. | Leaders have said they were working from the outlines of a September cease-fire deal that was never fully implemented and that evaporated completely in recent weeks. The death toll has more than doubled since that failed accord, to more than 5,400, according to U.N. estimates, and rebels have captured hundreds of square miles of additional territory. |
| In rough terms, any deal would require both sides to stop shooting and for heavy weaponry to be pulled back from the front lines within days to create a demilitarized zone. | In rough terms, any deal would require both sides to stop shooting and for heavy weaponry to be pulled back from the front lines within days to create a demilitarized zone. |
| Rebel-held territories have demanded deep autonomy from the Ukrainian central government in Kiev. Points of contention included what form of autonomy and how to define the borders of rebel-held territory, as the battle lines have moved sharply since last summer. | Rebel-held territories have demanded deep autonomy from the Ukrainian central government in Kiev. Points of contention included what form of autonomy and how to define the borders of rebel-held territory, as the battle lines have moved sharply since last summer. |
| Kiev has also demanded that Russia stop the cross-border flow of weapons and fighters into Ukraine. | Kiev has also demanded that Russia stop the cross-border flow of weapons and fighters into Ukraine. |
| The conflict has brought relations between Russia and the West to lows not seen since the Cold War. Within Ukraine, Poroshenko has been forced to give up dreams of leading a unified nation under the full control of Kiev. He has set up hard internal borders and cut off people, goods and money flowing betweenKiev-held and rebel-held territories. | The conflict has brought relations between Russia and the West to lows not seen since the Cold War. Within Ukraine, Poroshenko has been forced to give up dreams of leading a unified nation under the full control of Kiev. He has set up hard internal borders and cut off people, goods and money flowing betweenKiev-held and rebel-held territories. |
| Russia wants guarantees that Ukraine will not tilt westward and join alliances such as NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin said fears of that possibility drove his annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula last March, a decision that set off the new conflict between Russia and the West. | Russia wants guarantees that Ukraine will not tilt westward and join alliances such as NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin said fears of that possibility drove his annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula last March, a decision that set off the new conflict between Russia and the West. |
| Anger in the West toward Russia has grown since the fighting reignited last month, and the White House has been considering whether to send arms to the Ukrainian military. That would bolster Ukraine’s chances against an opponent that the West says is supplied by Russia — but it would also run the risk of triggering a fierce proxy war with the Kremlin on Ukrainian soil. | Anger in the West toward Russia has grown since the fighting reignited last month, and the White House has been considering whether to send arms to the Ukrainian military. That would bolster Ukraine’s chances against an opponent that the West says is supplied by Russia — but it would also run the risk of triggering a fierce proxy war with the Kremlin on Ukrainian soil. |
| Merkel and French President François Hollande have said they are against arming Ukraine, and they flew last week on a surprise mission to Moscow in an attempt to jump-start the peace talks. | Merkel and French President François Hollande have said they are against arming Ukraine, and they flew last week on a surprise mission to Moscow in an attempt to jump-start the peace talks. |
| Earlier this week, President Obama called Putin to warn that if he did not stop supporting the rebels and come to terms on a peace deal, “the costs for Russia will rise.” Obama said separately that his decision about arming Ukraine would depend in part on the outcome of the talks. | Earlier this week, President Obama called Putin to warn that if he did not stop supporting the rebels and come to terms on a peace deal, “the costs for Russia will rise.” Obama said separately that his decision about arming Ukraine would depend in part on the outcome of the talks. |
| Russia has hotly denied arming the rebels or ordering troops into Ukraine, saying that the Russian citizens who are fighting there are doing so as volunteers. | Russia has hotly denied arming the rebels or ordering troops into Ukraine, saying that the Russian citizens who are fighting there are doing so as volunteers. |
| Fighting in recent days has come close to the intensity during the height of the conflict, in August, as both pro-Russian rebels and Kiev forces battle bitterly to expand their territory. | Fighting in recent days has come close to the intensity during the height of the conflict, in August, as both pro-Russian rebels and Kiev forces battle bitterly to expand their territory. |
| A top U.S. military official said Wednesday that Russian troops were fighting in Ukraine’s east and that Russia has massed thousands of additional troops on its border with Ukraine. That menacing signal has come at other tough points in the conflict. | A top U.S. military official said Wednesday that Russian troops were fighting in Ukraine’s east and that Russia has massed thousands of additional troops on its border with Ukraine. That menacing signal has come at other tough points in the conflict. |
| “It’s very obvious from the amount of ammunition, type of equipment, there’s direct Russian military intervention” near Debaltseve, a key transport hub where some of the most intense fighting has taken place in recent days, the U.S. Army’s Europe commander, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, said Wednesday. He said the United States plans to continue training Ukrainian troops in the western part of the country. | “It’s very obvious from the amount of ammunition, type of equipment, there’s direct Russian military intervention” near Debaltseve, a key transport hub where some of the most intense fighting has taken place in recent days, the U.S. Army’s Europe commander, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, said Wednesday. He said the United States plans to continue training Ukrainian troops in the western part of the country. |
| A Ukrainian military spokesman said Wednesday that 19 soldiers were killed and 78 were wounded in the fighting near Debaltseve in the past day. The steep toll was comparable to the peak of fighting in August. | A Ukrainian military spokesman said Wednesday that 19 soldiers were killed and 78 were wounded in the fighting near Debaltseve in the past day. The steep toll was comparable to the peak of fighting in August. |
| Separately, rebel officials said seven civilians were killed in their stronghold city of Donetsk when a minibus was shelled early in the morning. | Separately, rebel officials said seven civilians were killed in their stronghold city of Donetsk when a minibus was shelled early in the morning. |
| Poroshenko rose to power on the back of a pro-European movement that wants to orient Ukraine firmly toward Europe and away from Russia. He faced harsh domestic criticism for agreeing to the September cease-fire deal because many in Kiev said he had traded away too much to the Kremlin. Any new bargain raises the prospect that he will come under even heavier political fire. | Poroshenko rose to power on the back of a pro-European movement that wants to orient Ukraine firmly toward Europe and away from Russia. He faced harsh domestic criticism for agreeing to the September cease-fire deal because many in Kiev said he had traded away too much to the Kremlin. Any new bargain raises the prospect that he will come under even heavier political fire. |
| At the same time, Ukraine’s economy is in tatters, and the nation is close to default. Its currency has shed two-thirds of its value in the last year. Its financing needs appear to outstrip what international lenders are willing to give it. And it has struggled to focus on economic reforms with the war raging in the east. | At the same time, Ukraine’s economy is in tatters, and the nation is close to default. Its currency has shed two-thirds of its value in the last year. Its financing needs appear to outstrip what international lenders are willing to give it. And it has struggled to focus on economic reforms with the war raging in the east. |
| Daniela Deane contributed to this report from London; Stephanie Kirchner from Berlin. |