"We have just talked to [Ukrainian] President [Petro] Poroshenko and agreed that for past months, particularly since this February, we have carried out many negotiations – in Moscow, Kiev, Minsk and other places but honestly speaking this year the process of [implementing] the Minsk agreements turned out to be a snail and rather slow snail that does not move fast," Steinmeier said at a press conference with his Ukrainian and French counterparts.
Kiev launched a military operation in the country's east in April 2014 after the local residents of Donetsk and Lugansk regions refused to recognize new Ukrainian authorities, which came to power after the coup earlier the same year.
A new ceasefire regime came into force in Donbass on September 1. The ceasefire agreement was reached between Ukraine’s conflicting sides during a Contact Group meeting in August.
