CRI听力:Kiev and Rebels Reach Deal to Create Buffer Zone

Negotiators in Ukrainian peace talks have agreed to create a buffer zone between government troops and rebel forces in the east of the country.

The deal was reached in the Belarusian capital, Minsk by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the rebels and Europe's security body - OSCE.

It came amid a shaky ceasefire agreement inked earlier this month.

Under the terms of the deal, each party must pull back artillery of 100 millimetres or larger at least 15 kilometres, setting up a buffer zone that would be 30 kilometres wide.
Volodymyr Polyovyi, Spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, welcomes the deal.

"The agreement provides a ceasefire, stopping fire from both sides. Military groups and army personnel should stand in the positions they were located on 19 September, and they should be forbidden to launch any attack, or use any kind of weapons to attack."
Conflicts in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk provinces erupted in April and are estimated to have killed thousands of people.

Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of fuelling the insurgency with weapons and soldiers.

Moscow has denied that, saying that Russians who joined the mutiny did so as private citizens.