“The ceasefire agreement in Ukraine is a welcome development, but we must remain vigilant to ensure that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine are fully restored,” Menendez said on Thursday.
The senator added that sanctions imposed against Russia over its alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict should stay in place until it is verified that the ceasefire holds.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met in the Belarusian capital of Minsk for almost 15 hours, and agreed on a declaration that contains practical measures to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
In particular, the document calls for a ceasefire starting from February 15 and an «all-for-all» prisoner swap, the drawback of heavy weaponry on both sides of the conflict, and Ukrainian constitutional reforms.
The European Union, the United States and other countries imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its alleged meddling in Ukrainian affairs — a claim Russia has repeatedly denied. The restrictions target the country’s defense, energy and finance sectors, as well as several individuals.
