Germany: Russia, Ukraine should set up mechanism to oversee cease-fire

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MOSCOW – Germany says the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France have agreed that a mechanism needs to be set up to oversee a cease-fire in Ukraine and monitor the securing of its border with Russia.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert said the four leaders also agreed in a telephone call Wednesday that hostages held in eastern Ukraine should be freed without delay.

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Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have been held in Ukraine for weeks.

Seibert didn’t say how a cease-fire oversight mechanism might work but said talks between Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE should continue.