2nd LD Writethru: G7 voices concern about Ukraine situation, urges implementation of peace measures

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.

Fighting started in April last year between the government forces and rebels in eastern Ukraine and has intensified since mid- January, prompting a new flurry of European shuttle diplomacy.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed military experts to analyze the situation in Debaltseve, where some 8,000 Ukrainian troops had reportedly been encircled by insurgents' militia, a claim denied by Kiev.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said on Friday that the Russian military had deployed "a large amount of artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems" as well as "air defense systems" around Debaltseve.

"We are ... confident these are Russian military, not separatist systems," she told reporters at a daily news briefing.

Moscow has vehemently denied any involvement in the conflict in Ukraine's east, including its alleged provision of weaponry and military personnel to the insurgents.

In their statement, the G7 leaders urged all parties to " refrain from actions in the coming days that would hinder the start of the cease-fire."

"The G7 stands ready to adopt appropriate measures against those who violate the 'Minsk package' and therefore intensify the costs for them, in particular against those who do not observe the agreed comprehensive cease-fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons," the statement warned. Endite