Kremlin Spokesman: Minsk Talks Were 'Tough, Very Emotional'

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the crunch talks on Ukrainian crisis in Minsk as "tough and very emotional."

The leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, and Russia held a 13-hour summit in Minsk on Wednesday and early Thursday that resulted in a new political deal aimed at stopping the deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine that has claimed lives of at least 5,300 people since April 2014.

"The talks were tough and very emotional," Peskov said in an interview with Russia's Dozhd television channel on Thursday.

Peskov also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had convinced leaders of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in easter Ukraine not to put forward any ultimatums against Kiev authorities during the peace talks.

"In addition, the president's press secretary denied claims by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that he had to face all sorts of ultimatums during the 'Normandy format' summit in Minsk," Dozhd wrote in a press release with excerpts of Peskov interview posted on its website.

Following the negotiations, a reconciliation deal was hammered out between the leaders specifying the measures needed to end the military confrontation between Kiev forces and independence supporters in eastern Ukraine. The new agreement calls for a ceasefire to begin at midnight on February 15 and also demands the mutual withdrawal of heavy weapons by both sides to create a security zone.

Last September, the independence supporters and Kiev managed to sign a ceasefire agreement and a memorandum specifying its implementation in Minsk. Despite the deal, clashes between the warring sides continued, with the situation deteriorating in recent weeks.