THE STATE DEPARTMENT—United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is praising the efforts of key world leaders to end fighting in eastern Ukraine, saying he expects the truce deal reached Thursday in Belarus to be honored by all parties. Ban’s statement came hours after the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France announced a pullback of forces battling near the Russian border, an exchange of prisoners, and a cease-fire set to begin Sunday. The announcement, after 16 hours of marathon talks, spawned comments from world leaders ranging from cautious optimism to skepticism. French President Francois Hollande said the deal, if honored, amounts …read more
Source: Egylovers
