Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given a text of many news articles seperated by special token "|||||". Your task is to summarize them.
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 GENEVA — The United States, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union reached an agreement here on Thursday evening that calls for armed pro-Russian bands to give up the government buildings they have seized in eastern Ukraine and outlines other steps to de-escalate the crisis. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 Secretary of State John Kerry described the package of measures as an important first step to avert “a complete and total implosion” in eastern Ukraine and said that it could be followed by negotiation of more far-reaching steps to ease a crisis in which violence seemed to be growing by the day. 
  
 Mr. Lavrov said the deal was “largely based on compromise” and that a settlement of the crisis was primarily the responsibility of Ukraine’s. Mr. Lavrov made the remarks at a news conference that he gave before Mr. Kerry had spoken. 
  
 But President Obama sounded a cautious if not skeptical note in Washington. “I don’t think we can be sure of anything at this point,” he said, but there is a chance “that diplomacy may de-escalate the situation.” 
  
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 He added: “We’re not going to know if there is follow through for several days.” 
  
 Judging by the early reaction on the street in eastern Ukraine, in the absence of a strong push by Moscow, such skepticism is well justified. 
  
 Vasili Domashev, who described himself as an aide to the commandant of a building under occupation in Donetsk, said that since no representative of the newly declared and wholly unrecognized People’s Republic of Donetsk had been invited to the Geneva talks, the republic would not be bound by the decisions made there. 
  
 Though Western governments maintain that Russia holds sway over the groups here, Mr. Domashev said that was not the case. “Lavrov and Kerry decided, but who are they to us? We are the Donetsk Republic. We have people who make their own decisions.” 
  
 “We will not leave,” he concluded. “We do not trust Kiev. We really don’t trust them.” 
  
 The agreement, described in a joint statement, does not specifically require Russia to remove the approximately 40,000 troops it has on Ukraine’s border, as Mr. Obama has demanded. 
  
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 Nor does it commit Russia to holding direct talks with the interim Ukrainian government, which has been another American demand. The agreement also does not mention the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula last month. 
  
 The agreement on “initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security” in Ukraine followed more than six hours of talks here that involved Mr. Kerry, his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, Ukraine’s acting foreign minister, Andrii Deshchytsia, and Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief for the European Union. 
  
 It calls on all sides in Ukraine to refrain from violence or provocative behavior and rejects all forms of intolerance, including anti-Semitism, which Mr. Kerry said had emerged as a worry in eastern Ukraine. 
  
 “All illegal armed groups must be disarmed,” the statement declares. “All illegally seized building must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.” 
  
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 In recent days, the United States and other Western nations have repeatedly charged that Russian agents had orchestrated the seizure of government buildings in eastern Ukraine. 
  
 President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia denied the allegations in a question-and-answer session on Thursday on Russian television. But he also said Russia reserved the right to intervene militarily and he used new language that asserted Russia’s historical claims to parts of eastern Ukraine. 
  
 Under the agreement negotiated in Geneva, the Ukrainian government would grant amnesty to protesters who leave the government buildings they have occupied and agree to give up their arms, unless they are suspected of murder or other capital crimes. 
  
 International monitors from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, a 57-nation group that includes Russia, are to play a “leading role” in helping Ukrainians carry out the de-escalation measures. 
  
 Ukraine, the agreement says, should also ensure that reform of its constitution involves “outreach to all of Ukraine’s regions and political constituencies.” And the statement endorses the importance of economic support to Ukraine. 
  
 Mr. Kerry said at a news conference that it was critical that the measures be “translated immediately into actions” and that he hoped more far-reaching steps could follow. 
  
 “None of us leave here with the sense that the job is done,” he added. “We do not envision this as the full measure of de-escalation.” 
  
 The measures requiring armed groups to vacate government buildings in eastern Ukraine was singled out by Western officials as an especially significant measure, and Mr. Kerry made it clear that the Obama administration would hold Russia accountable to see that it was carried out. 
  
 “The responsibility will lie with those who have organized” the groups, said Mr. Kerry who added that the United States had made it clear that Russia had a “huge impact on all of those forces.” 
  
 “If there is not progress over the course of these next days and we don’t see a movement in the right direction, then there will be additional sanctions, additional costs as a consequence,” Mr. Kerry said. 
  
 In response to a question, Mr. Kerry insisted that the United States had not dropped objections to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, but acknowledged that it had not been the focus of the meeting. 
  
 “We didn’t come here to talk about Crimea,” he said. 
  
 While there has been no Russian commitment to withdraw forces from Ukraine’s border on a specific schedule, Mr. Kerry said the Russian side had suggested that the presence would be reduced as the crisis eased. 
  
 The talks were held at the same luxury hotel where five years ago Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was then serving as the secretary of state, presented Mr. Lavrov with a red “reset” button intended to signal a fresh start in the White House’s relations with the Kremlin. 
  
 The purpose of the Thursday session was to bring Ukraine and Russia to the same table, with the United States and the European Union participating, and foster a dialogue on political and security issues 
  
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 As the talks began, all sides had an incentive to avoid a diplomatic confrontation. 
  
 Russia wanted to avoid the perception that it was being uncooperative in the search for a diplomatic solution and, thus, discourage Western nations from imposing new economic sanctions. 
  
 American officials have also sought to give Ukraine time to hold its May 25 presidential election without more extensive Russian interference. 
  
 European nations, for their part, would prefer not to impose wide-ranging economic sanctions, which could hurt trade with Moscow. 
  
 The deeper question was whether the statement issued on Thursday would open the door to a diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis or remain a limited step that bypasses core issues like the degree of federalism in Ukraine, the presence of an intimidating Russian force near Ukraine’s border and Russia’s reluctance to recognize the legitimacy of Ukraine’s new government. ||||| GENEVA (AP) — Here is the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the U.S., Russia, Ukraine and European Union after seven hours of talks Thursday in Geneva: 
  
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 The Geneva meeting on the situation in Ukraine agreed on initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens. 
  
 All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions. The participants strongly condemned and rejected all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-semitism. 
  
 All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated. 
  
 Amnesty will be granted to protesters and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes. 
  
 It was agreed that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission should play a leading role in assisting Ukrainian authorities and local communities in the immediate implementation of these de-escalation measures wherever they are needed most, beginning in the coming days. The U.S., E.U. and Russia commit to support this mission, including by providing monitors. 
  
 The announced constitutional process will be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It will include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue, with outreach to all of Ukraine's regions and political constituencies, and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments. 
  
 The participants underlined the importance of economic and financial stability in Ukraine and would be ready to discuss additional support as the above steps are implemented. ||||| GENEVA (AP) — Top diplomats from the United States, European Union, Russia and Ukraine reached agreement after marathon talks Thursday on immediate steps to ease the crisis in Ukraine. 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov before a bilateral meeting to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine as diplomats from the U.S., Ukraine,... (Associated Press) 
  
 FILE - This Feb. 7, 2014 file photo shows Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel holds a briefing at the Pentagon. The U.S. will send medical supplies, helmets and other non-lethal aid to the Ukrainian military... (Associated Press) 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in a bilateral meeting to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, April... (Associated Press) 
  
 The tentative agreement puts on hold — for now at least — additional economic sanctions the West had prepared to impose on Russia if the talks were fruitless. And that will ease international pressure both on Moscow and nervous European Union nations that depend on Russia for their energy. 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the deal the result of a "good day's work" but emphasized that the words on paper must be followed by concrete actions. He said he had warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Moscow would soon feel the brunt of new sanctions should it not follow through on its commitments under the agreement. 
  
 "It is important that these words are translated immediately into actions," Kerry said at a news briefing. "None of us leaves here with a sense that the job is done because of words on a paper." 
  
 He added that if Moscow does not abide by the agreement, something that would be clear in the coming days, "we will have no choice but to impose further costs on Russia." 
  
 The agreement, reached after seven hours of negotiation in Geneva, requires all sides to refrain from violence, intimidation or provocative actions. It calls for the disarming of all illegally armed groups and for control of buildings seized by pro-Russian separatists to be turned back to authorities. 
  
 It also gives amnesty to protesters who comply with the demands, except those found guilty of capital crimes. 
  
 Monitors with the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe will be tasked with helping Ukraine authorities and local communities comply with the requirements outlined in the agreement. 
  
 It said Kiev's plans to reform its constitution and transfer more power from the central government to regional authorities must be inclusive, transparent and accountable — including through the creation of a broad national dialogue. 
  
 Speaking at a separate news conference, Lavrov said the OSCE mission "should play a leading role" moving forward. 
  
 Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the U.S. and its European allies for having what he called a double standard concerning Ukraine and said he hoped he would not have to deploy troops to Ukraine. 
  
 But he also seemed to keep the door open for Russia to recognize Ukraine's presidential election set for May 25, softening his previous demand that it must be postponed until the fall and preceded by a referendum on broader powers for the regions. 
  
 Ukraine was hoping to use the Geneva talks — the first of their kind over the crisis that threatens the new government in Kiev — to placate Russia and calm hostilities with its neighbor even as the U.S. prepared a new round of sanctions to punish Moscow for what it regards as fomenting unrest. 
  
 Meanwhile, Russia was honing a strategy of its own: Push the West as far as possible without provoking crippling sanctions against its own financial and energy sectors or a military confrontation with NATO. 
  
 In a television appearance in Moscow on Thursday, Putin denied claims that Russian special forces were provoking unrest in eastern Ukraine. He called the Ukrainian government's effort to quash the unrest a "crime." 
  
 In Washington, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S. would send non-lethal assistance to Ukraine's military in light of what he called Russia's ongoing destabilizing actions there. He told a Pentagon news conference that the military assistance to Ukraine will include medical supplies, helmets, water purification units and power generators. 
  
 Ukraine has asked for military assistance from the U.S., a request that was believed to include lethal aid such as weapons and ammunition. Obama administration officials have said they were not actively considering lethal assistance for fear it could escalate an already tense situation. 
  
 The U.S. has already sent Ukraine other assistance, such as pre-packaged meals for its military. 
  
 In Brussels, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the military alliance would increase its presence in Eastern Europe, including flying more sorties over the Baltic region west of Ukraine and deploying allied warships to the Baltic Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. NATO's supreme commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, told reporters that ground forces also could be involved at some point, but he gave no details. 
  
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 AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace, AP National Security Writer Robert Burns and AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington, AP Writer Lori Hinnant in Paris and AP Television News Senior Producer Ed Brown in Geneva contributed to this report. 
  
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 Follow Lara Jakes at https://twitter.com/larajakesAP, Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Matthew Lee at http://twitter.com/APDiploWriter |||||
A:
Top diplomats from the US, Russia, Ukraine, and the EU promised today to "de-escalate" tensions and avoid "provocative actions," reports the New York Times. But on Russian TV earlier, Vladimir Putin didn't seem interested in making nice, notes the Wall Street Journal. He pointedly kept open the option of sending troops into Ukraine cities, though he added, "I really hope that I do not have to exercise this right." He also placed the blame for the current chaos on Kiev: "Instead of realizing that something has gone wrong in Ukraine and making attempts to start dialogue, they have intensified their threats to use force and have even decided to send tanks and aircraft against the civilian population," he said. "It is another very serious crime on the part of the current Kiev authorities." The diplomatic meeting in Geneva, meanwhile, featured John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as the main participants. While Kerry hailed a "good day's work," he warned afterward that Moscow's promises to ease tensions must be "translated immediately into actions," reports AP. (Read the participants' full joint statement here.) Among other things, the agreement grants amnesty to armed protesters who surrender. And for now, the US will hold off on further sanctions against Russia.