President’s statement about the Minsk agreement: I hope it will be the real beginning of the ceasefire

“I hope it will be the real beginning of the ceasefire,” the President said about the Minsk agreement.

President Petro Poroshenko announced the signing the Agreement by the Trilateral Contact Group that would allow withdrawing heavy weapons and establishing the 30-kilometer buffer zone along the contact line.

During his meeting with the core groups of the Luhansk region in Severodonetsk, the President said that he instructed the members of the Contact Group from Ukraine to initiate signing the Agreement for establishing the 30-kilometer buffer zone along the contact line, which would include the removal of artillery, the remaining tanks, and mortars. "Thus, constant shelling in Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Lysychansk, and impossible Popasnaya," the President said.

The Head of State noted that the diplomatic efforts were successful and the proposal of Ukraine was accepted at the insistence of the OSCE. "The countdown will start in a few days and all heavy weapons will be withdrawn under the control of the OSCE," Petro Poroshenko said.

“I hope that this will be the beginning of the real ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy machinery and artillery, release of hostages illegally kept by the occupiers, and effective control of the OSCE over the performance of such agreements. Then, such steps will ensure potential economic and political reintegration of such territories and their return to Ukraine," Petro Poroshenko said.