The warring parties in Ukraine agreed Thursday to a February 15 ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front lines in a deal French President François Hollande called a "comprehensive political solution" after marathon talks in Minsk.

Speaking to reporters after almost 16 hours of talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital Minsk, Putin said: “We have managed to agree on the main issues,” adding that a ceasefire would come into effect at midnight on February 15.

Putin said an agreement had also been signed on how to implement the ceasefire.

French President François Hollande called the deal a "comprehensive political solution" and said it provides "serious hope, even if all is not done".

"All matters are addressed by this document," Hollande told journalists, standing alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel after marathon talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

As the deal was being agreed in Minsk on Thursday, both rebels and government troops reported fresh fighting across east Ukraine.

(FRANCE 24)