“There are elements of de-escalation on the ground, that require confirmation,” Fabius said at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris.
Fabius also stated that the issue of lifting anti-Russia sanctions is tied to the implementation of Minsk agreements.
Kiev launched military operations against independence supporters in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk last April. The confrontation has claimed more than 6,000 civilian lives, according to the latest UN estimates.
On February 12, leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine worked out a set of measures to alleviate the Ukrainian conflict following talks in Minsk. According to the agreements, the warring sides must observe a ceasefire, in force from February 15, withdraw heavy arms from the line of contact and conduct prisoner exchanges.
