War in Donbas: Contact Group Agrees to Develop New Ceasefire Mechanism, Discusses POWs

The Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and meets regularly in Minsk, Belarus, agreed to develop a new ceasefire plan for eastern Ukraine. This was announced by Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine’s former president and current representative at the talks in Minsk.

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The new plan should be developed by June 19 by a working group on security issues.

The parties have also agreed to halt activities near Stanytsia Luhanska in the Luhansk region. According to the agreement, seven days of “silent regime ” should ensue in the town.

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Kuchma has also stated that the issue of the prisoners of war (POWs) was raised during the meeting, in particular the captured Ukrainian sailors. However, he added that, “nothing can happen tomorrow.”