Donbas Forces Ready to React if Kiev Neglects Minsk Agreements – DPR

DONETSK (Sputnik) – Eastern Ukrainian forces are ready to react if Kiev does not follow new Minsk agreements on Ukrainian reconciliation, self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) envoy to the Contact Group talks Denis Pushilin told journalists Saturday.

"If there is no implementation [of Minsk agreements], then appropriate conclusions will be made, then the plan of action will be changed immediately. We are currently acting according to what we signed in Minsk," Pushilin said.

Pushilin stated that the independence supporters had guarantees of the European leaders regarding Ukraine.

"It is important for us to be responsible for our actions, ourselves and our doings," Pushilin told the press.

The Contact Group on Ukraine, which includes representatives from Russia, Kiev, the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreed on a number of measures aimed at ending the conflict in southeastern Ukraine on Thursday. The agreement was signed at the conclusion of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Minsk.

The measures include a ceasefire between Kiev forces and Donbas independence supporters, the creation of a buffer zone between the two sides through the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the region and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.

The ceasefire comes into force at midnight on February 15.

This is the second truce agreement between the warring sides. Last September, Kiev and the independence supporters agreed on a ceasefire in the midst of a military conflict in Donbas that started last spring. Despite the deal, clashes between Kiev forces and independence supporters continued in southeastern Ukraine through the end of 2014, intensifying at the start of 2015.