Ceasefire for eastern Ukraine agreed after Minsk summit

Minsk

THE leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine have agreed on a deal to end fighting in eastern Ukraine, participants at the summit talks said on Thursday.

The deal reached after all-night negotiations in the Belarussian capital Minsk included a ceasefire that would come into effect on Feb 15, followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons. The news came as Ukraine was offered a US$40 billion lifeline by the International Monetary Fund to stave off financial collapse.