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Story highlights "We had just two options: bad, and worse," the Ukrainian PM tells CNN A German government spokesman says the deal, reached after 17-hour talks, is a "reason for hope" The deal includes a ceasefire to begin Sunday and the withdrawal of heavy weapons

If the ceasefire holds -- which is far from certain -- it could end a 10-month conflict that has claimed more than 5,000 lives, many of them civilians, and plunged East-West relations to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

"We had just two options: bad, and worse. So we decided at this particular period of time to get the bad option. Probably this option will save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, and I hope this option will save lives of Ukrainian civilians, of innocent people, who are under a constant shelling of Russian-led terrorists," Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.

"It's better to have this new deal rather than not to have (it). But we do not trust any words or any papers. We are to trust only actions and deeds," he said.

The White House issued a statement with a tone of guarded optimism. "The United States welcomes the agreement reached today in Minsk. ..." it said. "The agreement represents a potentially significant step toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty."

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The statement urged that all parties take "immediate, concrete steps" to fulfill their commitments. "Heavy weapons must be withdrawn from the conflict zone, and Russia must end its support for the separatists and withdraw its soldiers and military equipment from eastern Ukraine," the statement said.

Addressing reporters after the four-way overnight talks in Minsk, Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said all parties had agreed to the ceasefire starting February 15 and called for restraint in the interim.

"I call on both sides to end the bloodshed as soon as possible" and come to a real political solution to the conflict, he said.

Putin said both sides have agreed to pull back heavy weapons. The talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany took so long, he said, because authorities in Kiev still refuse to have direct contact with separatists.

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Ukraine ceasefire deal reached after marathon Minsk talks ...