White House Welcomes Cease-fire Deal for Ukraine
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creisinger/iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The White House welcomes the peace deal for Ukraine that was reached by the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Belarus Thursday.
The deal, which came after more than 15 hours of discussion, calls for a cease-fire starting Sunday, followed by a process of constitutional reform.
“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,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement.
“This agreement must now be followed by immediate, concrete steps to fulfill the commitments by all parties. The cease-fire must be implemented and honored. Heavy weapons must be withdrawn from the conflict zone, and Russia must end its support for the separatists and withdraw its soldiers and military equipment from eastern Ukraine,” Earnest added.
In a separate statement, Secretary of State John Kerry also welcomed the news, commending the efforts by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande to reach an agreement.
Mirroring Earnest’s remarks, Kerry said, “Actions will be what matter now.”
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