Both the United States and some leaders in Europe have threatened to impose tougher sanctions against Moscow if it does not stop supporting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday called those threats an attempt to "deflect attention" from the need to follow through on the terms of a cease-fire, which has only recently begun to take hold.
"Behind these calls are hidden the lack of desire of these actors - the corresponding countries, organizations, the United States, the European Union - to achieve what was laid out in the Minsk agreements," Lavrov said at a news conference.
Weapons withdrawal
Also on Thursday, Ukrainian troops have begun withdrawing artillery from a frontline eastern village near the devastated town of Debaltseve, under the watchful eye of European monitors overseeing a cease-fire deal reached earlier this month.
Military officials on Thursday showed reporters from the Reuters news agency trucks towing 100-millimeter guns from the village of Paraskoviyvka, as Kyiv acknowledged a marked reduction in rebel attacks in the past three days.
For a second straight day on Thursday, Ukraine's military officials reported no combat fatalities in the regions near the Russian border, boosting prospects that an internationally brokered truce reached February 12 will hold. Kyiv authorities, however, said its withdrawal timetable could be adjusted if army positions are attacked.""
Temporary Cease Fire:
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