WASHINGTON, Feb 15: US Secretary of State John Kerry has called his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and sought full implementation of the Minsk agreement with the beginning of a full ceasefire period in Ukraine.
“In a conversation with Lavrov today, the Secretary underscored the importance of full implementation of the Minsk agreements, beginning with a full ceasefire at midnight tonight local time,” a State Department official said yesterday.
“He also expressed concern about the fierce fighting around Debaltseve, and efforts by Russia and the separatists to cut off the town in advance of the ceasefire,” the official said.
Speaking to the Russian Foreign Minister over the telephone, Kerry discussed negotiations in New York on a draft UN Security Council Resolution that welcomed the Minsk agreements, as well as Syria, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the State Department released commercial images in support of its allegations that Russian military has deployed a large amount of multiple rocket launchers in Eastern Ukraine.
“The United States Government considers these commercial images as one of several pieces of credible evidence that lead to the conclusion that the Russian military has deployed large amounts of artillery and multiple rocket launchers around Debaltseve, where it is shelling Ukrainian positions,” State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
“We are confident that these are Russian military, not separatist systems,” Psaki said. (PTI)
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