U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: Ukraine Peace Deal On The Verge Of Falling Apart

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) walks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry after their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine July 7, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Reuters: Kerry warns peace deal on Ukraine is in danger of failing

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned on Thursday that the Minsk peace deal on Ukraine was doomed to fail unless "real security" was restored in eastern Ukraine where government forces are pitted against Russian-backed separatists.

The Minsk agreement was negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in February 2015 to end the fighting which broke out in eastern Ukraine after the fall of a Moscow-backed president and the arrival in power of a pro-Western leadership.

But the ceasefire has failed to stop all fighting between Ukrainian government troops and the Russian-backed rebels while the two sides accuse each other of failing to honor the commitments made in Minsk.

More than 9,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

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Update #1: Kerry visits Ukraine to shore up cease-fire -- The Hill
Update #2: Kerry in Ukraine to offer help from United States -- AP

WNU Editor: I am not optimistic on Ukraine, and here are the reasons why ....

Ukraine army: Pro-Russian forces violate cease-fire; 2 soldiers killed -- UPI
Three Ukrainian soldiers killed, 13 wounded in Donbas in last day -- Ukraine Today
Six die, including three children, in rebel Ukraine -- AFP
Desire to break free from Ukraine keeps devastated Donetsk fighting -- PBS News Hour
Russian-backed leaders will not rule in Donbas - Ukraine's FM -- Ukraine Today
Thousands Protest Electricity Price Hikes in Ukraine -- New York Times
Ukraine Names Street and Sausage After Controversial Nationalist Hero Bandera -- Moscow Times