Germany, others seek ways to speed up peace efforts in eastern Ukraine

BERLIN: The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine will look at possible steps to accelerate the implementation of the Minsk peace agreements for eastern Ukraine in coming months, a German government spokesman said on Thursday.

The four countries, who have worked as in a grouping called the 'Normandy Format' to try to end the crisis in eastern Ukraine, also welcomed an agreement by the conflict parties to strengthen a ceasefire from March 30, spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.