Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko orders ceasefire, calls it 'the last chance' for peace

KIEV, Ukraine, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has ordered a ceasefire between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels, and he's calling it "the last chance" for peace.

A ceasefire was agreed upon by President Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande on Thursday in Minsk, Belarus. The President of Ukraine is now ordering the ceasefire to begin.

Fighting was persistent leading up to the ceasefire, until dying down shortly before the ceasefire deadline. Pro-Russian rebels attempted to gain control of as much territory as they could while fighting continued. Ukrainian forces also ramped up their attacks before the ceasefire, hoping to hold the rebels back.

"Unfortunately after the Minsk agreement, Russia's offensive has significantly increased. We still think that the agreement is in great danger," Poroshenko said during a meeting with Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, according to Al Jazeera.

Previous ceasefires have not proven to be effective in Ukraine, with the September ceasefire ending when the Ukrainian government claimed rebels violated the agreement by holding elections.