According to Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the fresh agreement on withdrawal also includes additional categories of weapons, such as “tanks, armored vehicles, mortars and heavy weapons below a 100 millimeter caliber,” Ukraine Today reports.
Also, the sides agreed to set up four working groups to deal with local elections in the Donbas, reconstruction work in eastern Ukraine, exchange of all prisoners and humanitarian aid from Ukrainian government.
The Normandy Four meeting was held amid reports on another casualty and six more injuries among Ukrainian troops as the fierce fighting continues near the strategic port city of Mariupol which is believed to be a primary target for Russia-backed insurgents.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that the country is willing to provide for a real ceasefire despite numerous violations by pro-Russian forces of a previous deal signed in February in Minsk while Ukrainian military were pushed to return fire.
Further negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian representatives on details of withdrawal of weapons are expected, while the OSCE will be chairing these talks.
See unian.info’s video section for more of the latest news from Ukraine in video from Ukraine Today, Ukraine’s 24-hour English-language news channel.
