(Transcript from World News Radio)
The major players in the Ukraine crisis have agreed a tentative ceasefire deal to end more than ten months of fighting in the country's east that's claimed more than 5,000 lives.
It's due to come into force on Sunday.
But after a similar deal agreed last year failed to stop the fighting, both sides of the conflict remain sceptical this ceasefire can hold.
Darren Mara reports.
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The ceasefire plan was agreed after marathon talks involving the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and peacemakers France and Germany in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, overnight.
The plan includes weapon withdrawals and an exchange of prisoners between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels.
Ukraine is to allow a resumption of what they term "normal life" in rebel areas, by lifting restrictions.
Constitutional reform must be ushered in to enable decentralisation for rebel regions by the end of the year.
And Ukraine will be granted control of the border with Russia if all conditions are met by the end of 2015.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the ceasefire after 16 hours of talks.
Speaking through a translator, he said it hadn't been the best of nights, but that it was a good morning.
"The first thing is a ceasefire. It is from 00:00 hours of 15 February. Secondly, the position that I believe the very important is the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the territory - the Ukrainian and from the buffer zone that we agreed on 19 September last year that divides Ukrainian troops and the Donbass representative forces. The third one is a political regularisation and matters of humanitarian and economic character."
Mr Putin stressed his concern that Ukraine is still unwilling to negotiate directly with the pro-Russian rebels fighting in the east.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was equally uneasy about the ceasefire deal, saying its implementation would be difficult.
"That's why it is vitally important for us, for all of us, to create pressure to keep the promises about the ceasefire, about the withdrawal of the heavy artillery, about the immediate release of all hostages, about the withdrawal of all foreign troops and mercenaries from the Ukrainian territory and about the closing of the border for the sovereignty of my country."
The Minsk talks were brokered by France and Germany, both keen to end the only conflict raging on the European continent.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the ceasefire deal offers a "glimmer of hope".
French President Francois Hollande says the immediate hours and days after the signing of the accord will be crucial.
The summit discussions came as separatists launched some of the war's worst fighting, killing 19 Ukrainian soldiers in assaults near Debaltseve (duh-BOLT-suh-vuh).
It's hoped the deal will herald a lull in fighting ahead of Sunday.
President Hollande says he and Chancellor Merkel will ask their European Union partners to support the agreement.
(Translated) "Even though we haven't accomplished everything, this represents serious hope for Ukraine. It is also a big relief for Europe and its a good example of what Germany and France can do for peace."
President Hollande warns, however, if the ceasefire deal is not respected, there will be more sanctions.
The EU says it's pressing ahead with a new list of sanctions against Russians and Ukrainians next week, regardless of the Minsk accord.
The United States says it too won't take the sanctions option off the table - though it's played down the chances of new punitive measures.
It'll probably also ease pressure on the U-S to send military aid to the struggling Ukrainian army.
US State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says the White House is accepting the Minsk deal cautiously.
"An agreement is a piece of paper unless it is implemented so what we've seen to date is that Russia and Russian-backed separatists have not taken the steps to implement. We will see what they do from here. We have had long ongoing conversations with our European partners about additional steps that could be taken. And if is not implemented or there is additional aggression, that is something we will continue to discuss."
European security monitor OSCE has had teams on the ground in Ukraine since March last year.
It reported shelling and casualties in the days and hours leading up to the Minsk talks.
A spokesman for the OSCE, Alexander Hug, says monitors stand ready to help implement the ceasefire.
"With its very broad mandate, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission stands ready to take on the tasks that are foreseen in this package, and the mission already present in the area stands ready to support the immediate implementation of that package that is based on the Minsk documents that have been agreed last year."
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