Four-way teleconference held on Ukraine truce execution

Leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine on Sunday held a teleconference, demanding a strict observance of the latest cease-fire agreement struck in Minsk, capital of Belarus.

The four leaders, namely German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, demanded at the teleconference the warring parties in eastern Ukraine execute the comprehensive cease-fire agreement, adopted by the Contact Group to facilitate peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine, without preconditions, according to an online Kremlin statement.

They reaffirmed their joint position on the resolution of the crisis, noting that "the cease-fire must apply to the entire line of contact, including the parts in the Debaltseve area," according to a statement by Kiev cited by the Interfax news agency.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also called for a " complete and unconditional" cease-fire which would make possible the pullback of heavy weapons and military hardware, said the Kiev statement.

Both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said the ceasefire was generally observed despite sporadic violations, according to a statement by French President Francois Hollande's office.

The four leaders also discussed the importance of getting the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to play a bigger role in monitoring the latest truce agreement struck in Minsk Thursday.

Ukrainian forces and independence-seeking insurgents in Ukraine observed a cease-fire as from Sunday local time as written in the Minsk peace agreement, which also envisages the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line and constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more power.

Officials of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics confirmed that militia forces of the two republics have stopped fire.

Poroshenko on Saturday also issued an order of ceasefire in the conflict zones in the country's southeastern Donbass region as of Sunday.

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