A sharp uptick in fighting between government troops and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine claimed at least seven lives in the last 24 hours, highlighting the continued volatility despite a two-month-old truce. The casualty toll marks the worst violence in the region since Feb. 19 , when dozens of Ukrainian troops were killed during the withdrawal from the key transportation hub of Debaltseve. Since then, a cease-fire deal signed Feb. 12 has largely held, although progress on other elements of the peace plan has been slow. The surge in fighting came just hours after foreign ministers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany met in Berlin to try push ahead with the next steps . […]