German foreign minister: Minsk deal not all we would have wished for

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister said an agreement between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France on the Ukraine crisis was not all Germany would have wished for, but it was a much-needed step away from violence and toward fresh political momentum. "The most important thing is that Moscow and Kiev agreed on a ceasefire... we strengthened the Minsk accords of last September," Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement. "For some this will not be enough. We also would have wished for more - but this is what the presidents of Ukraine and Russia could agree on." Talks had been extremely difficult, he said, adding he hoped both sides had negotiated in good faith, and would decline from any action in the next days which could threaten the ceasefire agreement. (Reporting by Alexandra Hudson and Madeline Chambers)