There is practically no progress in the peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbass, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, January 15, in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“The President of Ukraine informed the Federal Chancellor of Germany in detail about the situation in Donbass, noting that the ceasefire, which has been continuing since July 27, 2020, is generally observed, albeit with difficulty and provocations. Zelensky focused on the fact that, in addition to establishing a ceasefire, there is practically no progress in other aspects of a peaceful settlement, ”the Ukrainian leader’s office said in a statement.
So, Zelensky stressed that Kiev has fulfilled all the agreements reached at the meeting of the leaders of the Normandy Four in Paris in December 2019.
Both sides acknowledged that the talks between the advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four on January 12, 2021 in Berlin were not easy, but constructive. Ukraine and Germany expect regular consultations on January 22.
On the eve of the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Kuleba said that the country’s authorities insist on holding a meeting in the “Normandy format” at the level of heads of state, but allegedly because of Russia it is postponed.
On January 12, in Berlin, negotiations were held between political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four countries on the Ukrainian settlement. Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, noted that the meeting was useful, but no final decisions have been made yet.
Since 2014, Kiev has been conducting a military operation against the residents of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup and the new government in Ukraine. The settlement issues are being discussed in the Minsk and Normandy formats.