Kremlin says Ukraine moving too slowly to fulfill peace deal
Russia accused Ukraine Thursday of dragging its feet on implementing last month's peace deal, citing a wide range of areas in which Kiev is allegedly failing to meet its obligations.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told The Associated Press that Ukraine was failing in its pledge to declare an amnesty for fighters and to set the stage for local elections in the east. He also accused Ukrainian authorities of being reluctant to restore financial and social services to the east.
"Unfortunately, we witness unwillingness," Peskov told the AP, "and we are concerned about that."
He said that while hostilities in eastern Ukraine have abated thanks to the Feb. 12 peace deal, Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian government are still blaming each other for a slow and incomplete withdrawal of heavy weapons. He said "we do expect both sides of the conflict to fulfill their obligations, and to withdraw completely and timely all the heavy armaments."
