Ukraine Peace Roadmap Agreed
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A new roadmap aimed at ending a 10-month civil war between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists has been approved by leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine.
The deal, announced after more than 16 hours of discussions through the night in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, offers a "glimmer of hope" for an end to conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said a ceasefire would take effect on Sunday (22:00 GMT on Saturday), and that heavy weapons would be withdrawn from front lines of the conflict, which has already killed at least 5,300 people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes.
The roadmap - meant to ease a crisis that has plunged the West and Russia into their bitterest dispute since the Cold War - also calls for constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more autonomy.
A previous truce signed in Minsk last September quickly collapsed, Al Jazeera reported.
French President Francois Hollande described the deal as "a comprehensive political solution", while German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke only of a "glimmer of hope".
"I have no illusions. We have no illusions," she said, adding that "much work" remained.
The US, which has said it could supply Ukraine with hi-tech weapons if the conflict continues, cautiously welcomed the accord, calling on Russia to stop its alleged support for the rebels.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko described the talks as "very difficult" and said he expected the implementation of the deal would not be easy.
