Putin Bolstered as Ukraine Accord Averts Escalation Threat

The peace agreement in the Ukrainian conflict may be tailor-made to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin: it keeps the authorities in Kiev under his thumb while avoiding an escalation of the confrontation that would tip his country’s economy deeper into crisis.

Putin and the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine on Thursday unveiled an agreement in Minsk, Belarus, that foresees a cease-fire on Feb. 15 and other steps including a buffer zone and more powers for parts of the disputed Donbas region. Even if the accord succeeds in ending 10 months of fighting, analysts from Moscow to Berlin say the struggle over Ukraine’s strategic direction looks far from over.