Kiev, pro-Russia rebels sign deal creating Ukraine buffer zone
Representative of Ukraine's government and pro-Russia rebels from the east of the country inked an agreement on Friday to establish a 30km-wide demilitarised zone aimed
The government in Kiev and pro-Russian separatists on Saturday signed a deal creating a demilitarised zone in conflict-torn eastern Ukraine after fresh talks aimed at ending a brutal five-month war.
Face-to-face talks began on Friday evening in the Belarussian capital of Minsk and ended seven hours later with an agreement to create the buffer zone and withdraw all foreign fighters and weapons from the area.
“We have signed a memorandum,” said Ukraine’s former president Leonid Kuchma, who was Kiev’s representative at the meeting.
Under the deal, both sides agreed to pull back heavy weapons by 15 kilometres from their point of contact, thereby creating a buffer zone “at least 30 kilometres wide”, said Kuchma.
“If they [Russians] are not stopped now, they will cross European borders and spread throughout the globe.”
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) would monitor the area, he said, adding that both sides also agreed to remove “all foreign armed groups, military equipment, fighters and mercenaries” from the zone.
