KIEV, Ukraine
Ukrainian military withdrawal in the eastern part of the country will be simultaneous with Russian troop retreat in order to create a safe-zone, Ukrainian officials said.
Andrey Lysenko, spokesman for the Information Analysis Center of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, announced that it would be done in accordance with a memorandum signed by Ukrainian forces in the Belarusian capital of Minsk.
Lysenko also added that soldiers would retreat after a fully ensured cease-fire between the parties.
''If the first condition of the memorandum -- implementation of a cease-fire -- is not met, then we cannot handle the implementation of other conditions,'' Lysenko said. ''Withdrawal of [Ukrainian] troops from the conflict zone will be simultaneous with the withdrawal of Russian troops.''
Ukraine and Russia on Saturday signed an agreement to halt fighting in the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The memorandum signed by representatives of the two countries and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is the latest attempt to stabilize the region following repeated violations of an earlier ceasefire.
Fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine in April and the U.S., EU and Ukraine allege Moscow has since unofficially backed pro-Russian separatists with arms, training and even direct military support.
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