MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow has not pledged to ensure full cessation of hostilities in the crisis-torn eastern Ukraine, because Russia is not party to the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
"Moscow could not have promised [a full cessation of hostilities], because it is not a party to the conflict in Donbass," Peskov said, answering a question about reported Russia's promise to Germany.
On September 1, a new ceasefire regime came into force in the region. The ceasefire agreement was reached between Ukraine’s conflicting sides during a Contact Group meeting in August. Media reported that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Moscow promised Berlin to ensure respect of ceasefire in Ukraine.
In February 2015, Kiev and the two regions reached a ceasefire in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Despite the Minsk peace accords, both sides to the conflict have continued to blame each other for multiple ceasefire violations.
