Eastern Ukraine: Ceasefire Agreement Reached That Could Mark the End of the War

(Patria) – Ukrainian and Russian-backed rebel forces in eastern Ukraine have begun a 'complete' ceasefire that could lead to the end of the six-year war.

Representatives of the rebel forces announced on Sunday that they had ordered their forces to cease operations and banned the use of weapons by decree.

The Ukrainian army confirmed that its forces had also 'begun preparations' for the ceasefire.

If the truce holds, it would 'pave the way for the implementation of other provisions' of the Minsk peace agreement, the office of the Ukrainian president announced earlier this week.

Reached in 2015 with mediation from France and Germany, the Minsk peace plan aims to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists, which flared up in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea.

More than 14,000 people have lost their lives in the six-year war.

The presidents of Russia and Ukraine welcomed the ceasefire agreement by phone on Sunday, emphasizing the importance of implementing the agreement reached at the Paris summit in December.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern over Kyiv's calls for a revision of the Minsk agreements, saying that the '(Ukrainian president's) position on the non-alternative nature of the Minsk agreements should translate into real action,' the Kremlin announced.  

Zelensky, in turn, emphasized the need for 'further practical steps' to release Ukrainians held in prisons in 'Donbas and Crimea, as well as the Russian Federation,' according to a statement from the president's office.

The 2015 agreement stipulated that Ukraine would regain control of its border with Russia in the separatist-held areas, after they are granted broad self-governance and after local elections are held.

Although the agreement helped to reduce military actions to some extent, Ukrainian forces and rebels continued to exchange fire.

Let us recall that the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany held a meeting in Paris in December to support the Minsk agreement and revive the peace process.

The new Ukrainian President Zelensky, who won the elections in 2019 on a promise to stop the conflict, wants Ukraine to regain control of the border before local elections, while the Kremlin insists on the implementation of the Minsk agreement without revision.

The new ceasefire was reached by the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE Europe, and was welcomed by EU officials, Euronews reports.