U.N. hopes genuine ceasefire will emerge from Ukraine deal

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday appealed to all parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine to fulfill their commitments made at peace talks in Minsk, Belarus and to ensure the bloodshed comes to an end, his spokesman said.

"(Ban) expects that the commitments which have been made in Minsk will be respected by the parties," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Ban was reacting to a deal agreed by Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine in Minsk that aims to end the year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine.