UN chief welcomes full ceasefire in Ukraine after four-nation talks

The talks between the so-called “Normandy Four” involved a first face-to-face meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, brokered by the leaders of France and Germany.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday welcomed the outcomes of a meeting held between Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany in Paris on Monday, which reach agreement over a "full and comprehensive" ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, according to news reports.

The talks between the so-called "Normandy Four" involved a first face-to-face meeting between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, brokered by the leaders of France and Germany.

More than five years of fighting in Ukraine's east between national forces and mostly pro-Russian rebels have left well over 10,000 combatants and civilians dead.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric issued a statement saying that Mr. Guterres "reaffirms the strong support of the United Nations for the lead role of the member countries of the Normandy Four, the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Trilateral Contact Group, and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine in the framework of the Minsk Agreements.

The Minsk Agreements of 2015 set out the necessary steps to restore peace in eastern regions of Ukraine, predicated on a ceasefire before political measures can be implemented.

"The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to redouble their efforts to build on recent progress towards a resolution of the conflict", said Mr. Dujarric. "He reiterates his full support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."