Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko said that the next meeting of the “Norman Four” could open the way to a final solution to the conflict in the Donbass, as counted by President Vladimir Zelensky. He stated this during a joint briefing with his Austrian colleague Alexander Schallenberg.
“The main thing we are going to do is take a step towards peace. In an ideal situation, complete this process and solve this war, which in the east of Ukraine takes away our people and our chance for civilized development, ”UNIAN quoted him as saying.
The Ukrainian minister added that now the countries of the Norman format are discussing the possible dates of the summit, which may take place before the end of 2019.
“At least all the preconditions for this meeting have been met. And now the Ukrainian side is consulting with all three other participants of the “Norman Four”. We are looking for the best date for all four presidents and the place where this event will be held, ”Pristayko said.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister emphasized that Kiev does not plan a separate bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We are not planning a bilateral meeting with Putin now, we are planning a meeting in the Norman Four,” Pristayko said.
On the eve of the Kremlin reported that Moscow sees a positive trend in the process of preparing the summit of the "Norman Four" to resolve the situation in the Donbass.
“We note positive dynamics in a number of areas of preparation for the Norman format,” said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president.
Abandon Minsk
The Norman format of negotiations on Ukraine was created in June 2014. Then, on the sidelines of the meeting dedicated to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany held talks on resolving the conflict in the Donbass.
- The Norman Four Summit, October 19, 2016
- RIA News
- © Mikhail Palinchak
Since 2015, almost all meetings of the “four” have been devoted to the implementation of the Minsk agreements. However, subsequently, the Kiev authorities under the leadership of Petro Poroshenko actually froze their implementation, which made holding new meetings pointless. The last summit of the heads of state was held in October 2016 in Germany.
On the eve of the Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadim Pristayko said that Kiev may even withdraw from the Minsk agreements.
“This is a very unpopular statement, and probably our Western partners will not like it again. But for us, Minsk is not intrinsic value. Self-worth is our survival as a nation. And if we see that they do not work and this leads us to a constant drag on of the endless process, then sooner or later a decision will be made to exit the Minsk process, ”Prifayko quoted Interfax-Ukraine agency as saying.
According to him, the position of Kiev in relation to the Minsk agreements will depend, inter alia, on the results of the upcoming meeting of the “Norman Four”.
“If this meeting, which takes place, shows a lack of progress, this will undoubtedly cast doubt on the possibility of peace in the Minsk process. Now, when we return ... if we don’t bring anything, then the logical question will be how much we still need this Minsk, ”Pristayko said.
In early October, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements in terms of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbass.
“And we very much hope that the new government of Ukraine will proceed from this and that a sequence of actions will be ensured that should fit into the logic declared by President Zelensky for the implementation of this most important document,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.
As a RT source in the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry noted, Kiev could use the threat of withdrawal from the Minsk agreements to put pressure on the participants of the “Norman Four”.
“If there is no compromise, then Ukraine will threaten to exit the Minsk process. Therefore, the probability of a meeting in the Norman format before the end of the year is high, but whether important decisions will be made at this meeting is the main question, ”the source said.
Unresolved issues
One of the central points of the Set of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements to Settle the Situation in the Donbass, which was agreed by the participants of the “Norman Four” in 2015, is the withdrawal of the armed forces of Ukraine and the unrecognized republics of Donbass on the contact line.
- President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky
- AFP
- © Genya Savilov
However, representatives of nationalist organizations who consider Kiev’s attempts to achieve progress in resolving the situation in the east of the country as “surrender” tried to disrupt the separation of forces in areas near the settlements of Zolotoye and Petrovsky.
Despite this, on November 2, it became known that the withdrawal of troops in Zolotoy was completed, and on November 12, the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the withdrawal of forces in Petrovsky. Russia's envoy in the contact group to resolve the situation in eastern Ukraine, Boris Gryzlov, said that Moscow welcomed the separation of forces, and noted the importance of "the current Kiev authorities in this matter did not go on about the radicals."
A RT source in the office of the President of Ukraine believes that Zelensky really wants to make progress in resolving the conflict and is ready to take unpopular measures, but his inexperience may interfere with this matter.
“Zelensky wants to achieve peace in the east of the country, so he is ready to take unpopular steps. There is also a readiness for direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The problem is that he is quite inexperienced in politics and can make many strategic mistakes. This is the main concern of the presidential advisers, ”the source said.
In turn, the director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflictology, Mikhail Pogrebinsky, pointed out that it is still unclear how the Zelensky administration is going to solve the Donbass issue at the meeting of the "Norman Four", given that Kiev had previously expressed its unwillingness to comply with the Minsk agreements.
Recall that in September, Priestayko said that Ukraine would not amend the constitution regarding the granting of special status to Donbass, and also opposed the full amnesty for the parties to the conflict, which is prescribed by the Minsk agreements.
“I admit that the Norman meeting will take place, but it is not clear what Zelensky will try to achieve at it: after all, the Ukrainian side said earlier that it was not ready to implement the political part of the Minsk agreements regarding the special status of Donbass and amnesty. It’s hard to predict how realistic this summit will be in realizing a way to resolve the conflict, ”Pogrebinsky said in an interview with RT.
The deputy director of the Institute of the CIS countries, Vladimir Zharikhin, agrees with this point of view. According to him, Kiev is unlikely to agree to the terms of the Minsk agreements.
“Zelensky will not agree to the terms of the Minsk Agreements, which Ukraine has signed. The Kiev side accuses the Donbass of putting forward allegedly impossible conditions to replace concepts, since all these conditions were established by the guarantors of the Minsk agreements, members of the "Norman Four", including Ukraine, "the expert explained.
The lack of prerequisites for reaching a breakthrough agreement at the Normandy Four summit was also announced by RT's interlocutor in the European Solidarity Party.
“I do not see the prerequisites for concluding a peace treaty. The signing of such an agreement will lead to large-scale protests in Kiev and other large cities. But the new government has not yet decided what to do with the radicals, ”a RT source said.
The fact that Ukrainian right-wing radicals can interfere with the peace process was also announced by RT sources in the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
“This is a painful issue for society: Kiev has to take into account the opinion of nationalists,” the source said.