All Sides Must Do More to 'Fully' Implement Minsk Deal - State Dept.

Both sides to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine should do more to ensure full implementation of the Minsk peace agreements, US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany are set to meet in Paris for a fresh round of talks on the Ukraine peace process.

"We still continue to want to see the Minsk [agreements] fully implemented. We believe there is continued work that needs to be done on both sides to get Minsk fully implemented," Kirby stated in a press briefing.

The group of four countries — dubbed the Normandy Four — has been holding regular meetings on the Ukraine conflict since June 2014.

The Minsk agreements were signed in February 2015 by both sides of the conflict in east Ukraine, as well as by Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Under the Minsk Agreement, local militias promised to hold internationally-monitored elections in Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in early 2016. In return, Kiev agreed to grant them a special status and amend the national constitution, a prerequisite that has not been met.

During the Thursday meeting, the four foreign ministers are expected to determine progress made in the Ukrainian reconciliation process and underscore the importance of political dialogue as the only way out of the conflict.