The Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed the ceasefire, according to Reuters. The German Foreign Ministry tweeted moments after Putin's speech: "Breaking: Agreement in #Minsk."
Speaking to reporters after almost 16 hours of talks, Putin said: "We have managed to agree on the main issues," adding that a ceasefire would come into effect on Feb. 15.
More than 5,300 people have died since April in the fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in two eastern provinces and the bloodshed rose sharply in recent weeks. Despite the ongoing talks, both rebels and government troops reported fighting across eastern Ukraine.
As President Barack Obama considers rising calls at home for sending U.S. lethal aid to Ukraine, European leaders fear that would only aggravate the fight.
Meanwhile, Russia faces a severe economic downturn driven in part by sanctions the West.
Photo Credit: UK Telepgraph
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