On Monday, January 24, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, on the air of the ICTV channel, said that all participants in the upcoming meeting in the Normandy format (Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine) at the level of political advisers confirmed their participation in it.
“This is a very powerful signal that the Normandy format has finally been unlocked and it will take place in reality. All representatives confirmed their participation,” he said.
Yermak also specified that the Ukrainian delegation is leaving for Paris on Wednesday, where the meeting will take place.
“I think that we will have the opportunity to fully go through the Minsk agreements. The Ukrainian side has its own position on each of the points. I hope that this will be a constructive dialogue that will last as long as necessary,” the head of the presidential office said.
According to him, Kiev will implement the Minsk agreements “exclusively in the Ukrainian interests and exclusively in accordance with the norms of international law.”
Earlier, on January 22, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak said that political advisers to the heads of state of the Normandy Four would meet in Paris on January 26 to discuss the situation in Donbas. He also stressed that the negotiations require updating and activation.
The Russian side will be represented at the meeting by Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration.
On January 17, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Ukrainian authorities are obliged to comply with the Minsk agreements without the right to choose another path. He noted the influence of the United States on Ukraine, while Washington, according to him, is able to force Kiev to comply with the Minsk agreements.
On the same day, Alexander Lukashevich, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said that the deteriorating situation in Donbas suggests that Kiev does not rule out a military scenario.
On January 13, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted that the negotiators of Germany, Russia, France and Ukraine would meet again to prepare further negotiations.
He added that Berlin had repeatedly tried to set the Normandy format in motion.
The fact that Berlin is in favor of the resumption of the Normandy format and the use of all dialogue formats with Russia was reported a day earlier. According to Scholz, the movements of Russian military forces near the border of Ukraine cause him “serious concern.”
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that the Ukrainian side was “preparing a third operation” in the Donbass. According to him, this is evidenced by publications in the Western media about alleged plans to invade Ukraine. He also pointed out that the Minsk agreements are the only way to resolve the conflict in the Donbass, but Kiev does not want to fulfill them.
Since 2014, the Kiev authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict. The issues of its settlement are being discussed in the Minsk and Normandy formats – with the participation of Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
