Merkel: Minsk-2 not fully implemented

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says fighting in eastern Ukraine has been reduced in recent weeks but that the Minsk ceasefire plan has not yet been fully implemented. Ms. Merkel and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said after talks in Berlin on April 1 that Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine were still involved in fighting along the front line. A ceasefire agreement agreed to in Minsk in February has ended much of the fighting and led to some heavy weapons being pulled back. But the German chancellor said all of the heavy weapons held by Ukrainian forces and rebel fighters must be removed from the front line before the next stage of the peace plan can be implemented. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said 75 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and many injured since the ceasefire began on February 15. Ms. Merkel also said the details for a 500 million euro ($550 million U.S.) German loan to be granted to Ukraine had not yet been finalized, and she praised Mr. Yatsenyuk’s government for making “considerable progress” on reforms. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax)