Spotlight: Conflicting sides in Ukraine hold fire in line with Minsk peace agreement

Conflicting sides in Ukraine observed ceasefire at midnight Sunday as written in the Minsk peace agreement.

Negotiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, the peace deal envisages a ceasefire from Feb. 15 and withdrawal of heavy weapons from the frontline, and also covers election timelines, border control and prisoner exchange.

Officials of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) confirmed that militia forces of the two republics have ceased fire respectively.

"The DPR militia forces, fulfilling the DPR head's order, ceased fire from all types of weapons at 00:00 Kiev time Sunday (2200 GMT Saturday) ... and shall comply with the silence regime throughout the zone of responsibility of DPR militia units," Tass news agency quoted Eduard Basurin, a senior insurgent commander, as saying.

Basurin also confirmed that DPR authorities have started drafting plans to withdraw all heavy weapons from the frontline, as well as preparations for the exchange of prisoners.

Gennady Tsyplakov, a senior representative of LPR, said the republic's militia has stopped all combat actions starting from 00:00 Kiev time Sunday in line with Thursday's Minsk peace agreement.

Tsyplakov warned that any use of artillery and any type of multiple launch rocket system will be regarded as violation of the Minsk deal. If so, Kiev authorities are to take full responsibilities, he said.

Meanwhile, Poroshenko on Saturday issued an order of ceasefire in the conflict zones in the country's southeastern Donbass region from midnight on Sunday (2200 GMT Saturday).

Ukrainian Armed Forces' Commander-in-chief Victor Muzhenko confirmed that the presidential order had been fully executed.

"Ukraine always has a very responsible attitude toward the fulfillment of international obligations. We are determined to prove it again," the official online statement quoted Poroshenko as saying.

He stressed that Kiev expects the other side in the Ukraine crisis to take a responsible attitude and fulfill obligations.

Media reports indicated that Lugansk is currently in "absolute silence" with no reports of shelling from either side, while the same situation also happened in Donetsk with automatic gunfire being heard rather than artillery firing.

However, Tass quoted DPR's Basurin saying that at 02:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) the Ukrainian armed forces opened mortar and artillery fire on the DPR and LPR positions," with no further media reports confirming his accusation.

Poroshenko earlier on Saturday expressed his hope that all parties of the Minsk agreements would back the provisions by actual actions, urging the insurgents to stop shooting as they continue to attack military positions of government forces.

Moreover, he warned that martial law will be introduced all over Ukraine in case that the ceasefire fails in the eastern Ukrainian Donbass region.

The parliament would immediately consider introduction of martial law "which would allow (the military forces) to mobilize, to unite and defend our land more strictly and efficiently," Poroshenko warned in a statement.

Western leaders demonstrated their backing of the peace deal Saturday. Merkel and Hollande called Poroshenko Saturday and pledged their support to ensure it is observed.

The German and French leaders also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday evening to underline the importance of the deal, the Kremlin said. The three leaders agreed to talk on Sunday by phone with Poroshenko about the implementation of the ceasefire.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday spoke to Poroshenko by phone about the current situation in eastern Ukraine.

Obama expressed "his sympathy for the mounting toll of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and his deep concern about the ongoing violence, particularly in and around Debaltseve," the White House said in a statement.

Some 8,000 Ukrainian troops had reportedly been encircled by independence-seeking insurgents in Debaltseve, as the conflict that broke out in Ukraine's east in April last year has intensified since mid-January.

In their phone talks, Obama and Poroshenko "emphasized the pressing need for all signatories to implement the ceasefire and protocol agreements" reached in Minsk in September last year and reaffirmed under the new deal, the White House said.

It noted that "both leaders stressed the importance of establishing a lasting peace that respects Ukraine's sovereignty and unity."

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged implementation of the ceasefire in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Endi