But a recent flare up in fighting after a period of relative calm has raised concerns as Germany’s foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier explained:

“If this step by step process comes to a halt the implementation of the Minsk agreement will threaten to derail. But all sides have underlined tonight that they want to avoid that as all costs.”

Sticking doggedly to a time line, ministers have agreed to push ahead with a withdrawal of heavy weapons extending it to tanks.

However before the meeting, Ukraine’s military had accused pro-Russian rebels of using weapons that were meant to have already been pulled back.

Source: euronews.com