Ministers meet for talks in Berlin to discuss Ukraine's fragile truce and to focus on how to implement the political elements of the Minsk peace deal.
ADVERTISEMENTForeign ministers from France Ukraine Germany and Russia have met in Berlin to try and preserve a fragile ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.
The Minsk peace deal was not only supposed to usher in a truce but it is also expected to provide a framework for a political solution.
But a recent flare up in fighting after a period of relative calm has raised concerns as Germany’s foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier explained:
“If this step by step process comes to a halt the implementation of the Minsk agreement will threaten to derail. But all sides have underlined tonight that they want to avoid that as all costs.”
Sticking doggedly to a time line, ministers have agreed to push ahead with a withdrawal of heavy weapons extending it to tanks.
However before the meeting, Ukraine’s military had accused pro-Russian rebels of using weapons that were meant to have already been pulled back.