Ukraine ceasefire deal: US cautiously optimistic amid ‘escalation of fighting’

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/12/ukraine-ceasefire-deal-white-house-cautious

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​The White House has warned that continued fighting in Ukraine is breaching the spirit of the ceasefire deal reached overnight in Minsk.

US officials are cautiously optimistic about the agreement between European leaders and Russian president Vladimir Putin​, saying the “true test of [the] accord will be in its full and unambiguous implementation, including the durable end of hostilities and the restoration of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia”.

“The United States is particularly concerned about the escalation of fighting today, which is inconsistent with the spirit of the accord,” added the statement issued by press secretary Josh Earnest on Thursday morning.

Secretary of State John Kerry also called for “complete restraint in the run-up to the Sunday ceasefire, including an immediate halt to the Russian and separatist assault on Debaltseve and other Ukrainian towns”.

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“The United States is prepared to consider rolling back sanctions on Russia when the Minsk agreements of September 2014, and now this agreement, are fully implemented,” he added in separate statement issued by the State Department. “That includes a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of all foreign troops and equipment from Ukraine, the full restoration of Ukrainian control of the international border, and the release of all hostages.”

Though largely positive, the US response may reflect its substantial intelligence and surveillance capability in the region as well as more hawkish pressure in recent days among some in Washington to provide arms to the Ukrainian government.

Under the terms of the Minsk ceasefire agreement, soldiers on both sides have until midnight on Saturday to stop fighting and begin withdrawing heavy weapons, but there were reports of continued fighting on Thursday around the besieged government-held town of Debaltseve.

A previous ceasefire in September quickly broke down as separatists attempted to extend their area of control, but the White House said it was hopeful that this agreement in Minsk by the Trilateral Contact Group – which was endorsed by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France – would be more lasting.

“The agreement represents a potentially significant step toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty consistent with the Minsk agreements from last September,” ​the White House statement said said.

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“We call on all parties to carry out the commitments undertaken in today’s accord and the September agreements fully and without delay. This agreement must now be followed by immediate, concrete steps to fulfill the commitments by all parties. The cease-fire must be implemented and honoured. Heavy weapons must be withdrawn from the conflict zone, and Russia must end its support for the separatists and withdraw its soldiers and military equipment from eastern Ukraine.”

Earlier UN ambassador Samantha Power expressed similar concern about implementation but said she was “hopeful” the deal would bring dividends.

“Minsk agreements have come and gone in the past and have not been implemented so our emphasis now is, you know, making sure that this is not just, you know, doing a peace deal with one hand and then passing out more surface-to-air missiles with the other, which is what it has looked like in the past,” said Power in an interview on MSNBC.

The conflict in east Ukraine has claimed at least 5,400 lives. Nine people were reportedly killed and 35 wounded in east Ukraine on Thursday morning.