When I watched the meeting unfold yesterday and read about the results, I felt cautiously pessimistic.
http://rt.com/news/231571-putin-minsk-ukraine-deal/The reason for it is three-fold:
1. Almost exactly 1 year ago US gave green light for a violent coup d'etat one day after another agreement was signed
2. September Minsk agreements were observed only by one side - the freedom fighters, so there is no reason to think that this time it will be different.
3. Continued sanctions against Russia for brokering peace in Ukraine. Check out the following statement by Kerry:
http://rt.com/news/231827-us-sanctions-russia-minsk/It's as if he is saying: Yeah, sure, they think we'll allow them to have peace. US will do anything to keep the pretext for sanctions against Russia - the current war against ethnic Russians by Ukrainian Nazis - in place for as long as possible.
As if to confirm this, Merkel, when asked if the newly-agreed upon sanctions against Russia will be put into effect on the 16th, one day after the supposed ceasefire - simply said: Yes.
And Poroshenko barely left Minsk, when a powerful explosion rocked Donetsk this night, an explosion that was felt as far as Gorlovka. Yarosh, the head of Kiev-nazis took responsibility for this act of terror, saying that they fired Tochka-U ballistic missile at Donetsk.
Lugansk was heavily shelled from artillery today, resulting in more civilian deaths.
Around 15 battalions stated that they will no longer report to Poroshenko, but to Right Sector.
An Poroshenko hinted that Minsk agreements are not really compulsory.
The violence just further escalates, with US and NATO voicing louder and louder sending weapons to Ukraine - not a good start for a "ceasefire".
So the last warning by Zaharchenko may well be enacted:
Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Aleksandr Zakharchenko, who signed the Minsk document, said it required additional consultation and warned that “if these terms are broken, there will be no new meetings or memoranda.”