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1st LD: G7 voices concern about Ukraine situation, urges implementation of peace measures

Xinhua, February 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

The seven Western industrialized countries on Friday voiced concern about the situation in Ukraine, calling on all sides to implement measures of a new peace deal "without delay."

Leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States plus the European Union hailed the latest deal as one that "offers a way forward to a comprehensive, sustainable and peaceful resolution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine."

"However, the G7 remains concerned about the situation in Ukraine, in particular in view of the fighting around Debaltseve where Russian-backed separatist militias are operating beyond the line of contact agreed upon in the Minsk agreements of September 2014, causing numerous civilian casualties," the leaders said in a joint statement released by the White House.

They called for implementation of the peace measures "without delay," starting with a cease-fire on the coming Sunday.

Under the agreement signed on Thursday in the Belarussian capital of Minsk at the conclusion of a four-way summit of French, German, Russian and Ukrainian leaders, a cease-fire between the Ukrainian forces and independence-seeking insurgents shall be followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line and constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more autonomy. Endite