War in Donbass

Neither Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels have started pulling arms out of the areas of conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

Kiev says the army would not pull back until the siege around Debaltseve ends, whereas the rebels insist the army should leave the beleaguered city which in their opinion is not part of the Minsk agreement.

Fighting raged around a key railway hub in eastern Ukraine on Monday despite a ceasefire agreement that officially went into force a day earlier.

The OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine reported that the ceasefire, which entered into force on Sunday, was largely observed during the first hours, except in Debaltseve, Raihorodka and Luhansk.

The OSCE monitors were denied access to the key transport hub of Debaltseve, where fighting has continued.

With news that moments after the Ukraine cease-fire went into effect, there were some serious violations, fingers were crossed with wishes that the "glimmer of hope" as described by Angela Merkel - who together with President François Hollande of France brokered the deal in talks in Minsk, Belarus with Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine - will hold.

The Croatian Foreign Ministry on Thursday told volunteers to come back home and stop fighting for the Ukrainian army and special police units in Ukraine.

The ministry's message comes after the Russian foreign ministry on the same day issued a complaint that Croats were violating a peace deal.

At least 15 people have been killed in east Ukraine in new shelling despite the signing of a peace deal to end the 10-month conflict.
     

European powers warned Russia it risked fresh sanctions if a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 10-month war between Ukraine troops and pro-Moscow rebels was not implemented.
       

The US administration on Thursday welcomed with guarded optimism the latest Ukraine ceasefire agreement  and called for its "full and unambiguous implementation".

OSCE welcomes Minsk agreement

VIENNA -- OSCE Chair and Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic welcomed on Thursday the results of the meeting achieved in Minsk.

He gave his "full support to the package of measures for implementation of the agreement reached by the Trilateral Contact Group in September 2014," the OSCE said.

BELGRADE - OSCE Chair and Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic welcomed on Thursday the results of the meeting achieved in Minsk and gave full support to the package of measures for implementation of the agreement reached by the Trilateral Contact Group in September 2014, states the OSCE release.