The United States will monitor the implementation of the Minsk agreements

The United States can soften sanctions against Russia, if the pro-Russian separatists in the east of Ukraine will fulfill the Minsk agreement.

This was stated by US Secretary of State John Kerry, commenting on the negotiations of the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, at which the situation in Ukraine was discussed and another cease-fire agreement was worked out.

Welcoming this agreement, Kerry nevertheless emphasized that Washington would evaluate their actual implementation, and not talk about it.

“We will judge how willing Russia and the separatists are to comply with agreements by their actions, not by their words. As we have long said, the United States is prepared to consider lifting sanctions imposed on Russia when the Minsk agreements of September 2014 and the current agreement are fully implemented,” Kerry said.

Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, commenting on the meeting in Minsk, said that, despite the agreements reached there, she does not exclude the introduction of new sanctions, if the cease-fire in Ukraine will not be maintained.

“If the developed plan works and is followed, we will support this process. But if it fails, the introduction of new sanctions cannot be ruled out,” the chancellor said at a briefing in Brussels.

Will discuss by phone

French President Francois Hollande said that the leaders of the so-called Norman Quartet are planning to discuss the implementation of the Minsk agreements by phone next week, and in a few weeks they can meet again in person.

On February 12, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany - in the format of the so-called Normandy Four - during negotiations in Minsk agreed to resolve the bloody conflict in Ukraine.

As was announced after the meeting, a ceasefire agreement will come into force in the eastern regions of Ukraine from midnight on February 15. In addition, the Ukrainian army will withdraw heavy weapons from the current demarcation line, and the separatists will withdraw from the line fixed in the September Minsk memorandum.

Western countries, accusing Russia of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, introduced sanctions against a number of Russian companies and officials in 2014.

The Kremlin declares that it provides Donbas only humanitarian aid.

The previous Minsk agreements of September 2014 were violated more than once, and the parties to the conflict - both the self-proclaimed republics and the Kyiv authorities - accused each other of this, writes BBC News.