Russia and Minsk Agreement

Ukraine: Obama said at a press conference at the conclusion of the summit that "Russia actions in Ukraine "are hurting Russia and hurting the Russian people." The sanctions regime steadily imposed by Western nations will continue until a ceasefire that Russia agreed to in March goes into full effect, Obama said, according to CNN. That accord, which leaders hammered out in Belarus, has been repeatedly violated. The extension of sanctions was a chief goal of the U.S. President at this week G7 meeting in the Bavarian Alps, where leaders huddled in a castle high above Munich to discuss Russia, ISIS and other pressing global issues. Some of the fiercest fighting since the so-called Minsk Agreement came this week, with heavy artillery fire reported near Donetsk. Despite the continued violence, U.S. officials insist the sanctions are taking a toll on the Russian economy, where the Ruble has plummeted in value. In total, more than 6,000 people have died in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine since the conflict began last year. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.