Ceasefire in Ukraine ‘Welcome Development’ – US Senator Mendendez

Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee US Senator Robert Menendez stated that the ceasefire agreement in Ukraine was a welcome development, but the US must ensure that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine is fully restored.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The ceasefire agreement reached among the factions in Ukrainian conflict is a desirable improvement, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee US Senator Robert Menendez said in a statement.

“The ceasefire agreement in Ukraine is a welcome development, but we must remain vigilant to ensure that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine are fully restored,” Menendez said on Thursday.

The senator added that sanctions imposed against Russia over its alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict should stay in place until it is verified that the ceasefire holds.

“There can be no let-up in the sanctions regime and the US should move forward and establish deeper security ties with Ukraine and other vulnerable countries in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states,” Menendez said.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met in the Belarusian capital of Minsk for almost 15 hours, and agreed on a declaration that contains practical measures to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

In particular, the document calls for a ceasefire starting from February 15 and an «all-for-all» prisoner swap, the drawback of heavy weaponry on both sides of the conflict, and Ukrainian constitutional reforms.

The European Union, the United States and other countries imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its alleged meddling in Ukrainian affairs — a claim Russia has repeatedly denied. The restrictions target the country’s defense, energy and finance sectors, as well as several individuals.