Spotlight: World awaits ceasefire in eastern Ukraine with mixed feelings

Shelling is supposed to cease in a few hours in eastern Ukraine according to a package of measures adopted earlier this week, but it is still questionable that the warring sides could truly lay down their weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande reached a peace agreement on Thursday in Minsk, capital of Belarus, on the Ukraine crisis.

The deal calls for a ceasefire from Feb. 15 and withdrawal of heavy weapons from the frontline, and also covers election timelines, border control and prisoner exchange.

However, the long-expected glimmer of hope was overshadowed by the flare-up of hostilities between government troops and pro-independence rebels.

On Saturday, fighting intensified as the insurgents tried to seize more territory before the ceasefire takes effect at midnight, the Ukrainian military said.

"Ahead of midnight, rebels are trying to complete tactically important plans to enlarge the territory under their control, primarily in the direction of Debaltseve," spokesman Andriy Lysenko said at a daily televised briefing in Kiev.

He said seven Ukrainian service personnel have been killed and 23 others wounded in fighting against the insurgents over the past 24 hours, while insurgent leaders reported four civilian deaths.

According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 26 people were also killed and scores of others wounded on Friday.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Petro Mekhed accused the rebel forces of aiming to capture the government-controlled towns of Mariupol and Debaltseve before the ceasefire deal comes into force.

Meanwhile, the insurgents blamed Ukrainian troops for shelling their positions in Lugansk, Donetsk and Gorlovka cities, the main rebel bastions.

The intensified fighting, some of the heaviest and deadliest in two weeks, raised international concerns and doubts on the full implementation of the peace agreement.

Experts held controversial opinions on the future of the newly-reached Minsk peace deal, but agreed that the final judgement of the situation could only be made upon the ceasefire on Sunday and further actions made by the conflicting sides in Ukraine.

Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia's The National Defense magazine, told Xinhua that there is no guarantee for the recent agreement to be long-lived, as it is to some extent just a replica of the September Minsk accord.

"It is unclear whether Poroshenko has enough resources to persuade domestic interest groups to implement the agreement," Korotchenko said as he pointed out the complex situation inside the Ukrainian parliament.

His words were echoed by Vladimir Fesenko, head of Ukraine's Penta Center for Applied Political Studies, who stressed that it is necessary to establish a monitor mechanism.

"Or else it would be extremely difficult for the parties of the conflict to obey the agreement," especially on the weapon withdrawal issue, Tass news agency quoted Fesenko as saying.

According to media reports, Russia has presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council in support of Thursday's Minsk deal, urging all parties involved to fully implement the ceasefire agreement. The council is expected to meet on Sunday to vote on the resolution.

Currently, the world attention has been focused on whether fire could be held on Sunday and in the future, whereas experts noted that even if the ceasefire comes true, problems still remain to settle down the political disputes between the rebels and Kiev.

"The political status of Donbass (eastern Ukraine) is still up in the air," Korotchenko said.

Meanwhile, such problems as the issue of decentralization and constitutional reforms also could easily touch off new trials of either military or political strength.

Although with many uncertainties, the 10-month-long crisis is expected by the international community to be finally solved in a peaceful and political way.

"There might be different interpretations of the (recent Minsk) agreements, but at this point Ukraine needs putting a stop to bloodshed. And now the authorities have enormous responsibility for the country's further fate," Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitshchko was quoted by Tass as saying. Endi