During a new meeting in the Norman format, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will insist on the creation of a working group on the issue of returning the border between Russia and the Donbass to Kiev’s control. This was announced on the eve of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadim Pristayko on the air of the program “Freedom of Speech” on the ICTV channel.

“A wide range of issues will be discussed, and the last time it was possible to agree on seven key positions, among which there was no place for the border issue, but that’s how President Zelensky poses the issue,” the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said.

Pristayko added that the Ukrainian side had previously proposed to Russia to create a working group that would deal with the topic of transferring control of the border to Kiev. However, such a group has not yet been created, so Zelensky intends to insist that this issue be considered at the meeting in the Norman format and become one of the priority topics.

  • Vadim Priestayko
  • © YouTube / Free Speech on ICTV

One possible option would be to create a security corridor on the border with Russia in the Donbass under the control of the OSCE, Vadim Pristayko said.

“This is an ideal option that the government, the president, and everyone else are working on,” the head of the Ukrainian diplomatic department emphasized.

At the same time, Priestayko mentioned that Ukrainian border guards should control the Ukrainian border from the Ukrainian side.

According to the minister, in Kiev, within the framework of this plan, they are considering a return to the first Minsk agreement, signed in 2014. The document spoke about the possibility of creating a security zone in the border regions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

“Unfortunately, the majority forgot that such an agreement was reached, and the development of our negotiations is not progressing in this context,” Pristayko added.

According to the Ukrainian minister, it is not known how viable the idea of ​​creating joint patrols from the national police of Ukraine, the OSCE and representatives of local self-government bodies across the entire territory of Kiev not controlled by Donbass.

Image approach

Recall that the first Minsk agreement was signed in the fall of 2014, the document included a plan of measures for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbass. Kiev then undertook to ensure decentralization of power by adopting a law on the special status of Donbass, as well as hold early local elections in the region.

However, the signing of the document did not lead to a de-escalation of the conflict, and at the beginning of 2015, the parties entered into a new agreement, known as Minsk-2.

According to the document, control over the border should go to Kiev only after the elections in the Donbass and subject to constitutional reform in Ukraine.

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin (second left in the background) and ex-France Francois Hollande (left in the foreground) at the Palace of Independence in Minsk at a wide negotiation of the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine to resolve the crisis in Ukraine
  • RIA News
  • © Alexey Druzhinin

In autumn 2016, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was then the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, proposed a formula for resolving the conflict in accordance with the Minsk Agreements. The plan implies that prior to the elections, the self-proclaimed republics will receive a temporary special status, which will become permanent immediately after the vote.

Although the plan was approved by all interested parties - Ukraine, Russia, European participants of the "Norman format" and the leadership of the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass, the Ukrainian side is not in a hurry with its implementation.

So, Kiev still has not carried out the constitutional reform envisaged by Minsk-2, but at the same time actively puts forward its own demands.

Speaking to journalists at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that representatives of the OSCE, Kiev, and “selected areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions” can control the border during the elections. The politician emphasized that Ukraine will not hold local elections in the Donbass without control overseas.

According to the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, this idea needs to be discussed with the DPR and LPR. However, Kiev has not yet shown readiness for dialogue with them, said Peskov.

Experts attribute Kiev’s unwillingness to enter into direct negotiations with Donetsk and Lugansk with the Ukrainian’s unwillingness to follow the Minsk agreements.

“Those proposals made by the Ukrainian leadership directly contradict Minsk-2, and in Kiev they understand this very well. Under various pretexts and in various forms, Kiev has recently been trying to revise the Minsk Agreements, hoping for support from the European representatives in the Norman Four. So far, these attempts have not been crowned with success, but they continue, ”Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries, said in an interview with RT.

A similar opinion is shared by the doctor of political sciences, professor of Moscow State University Andrei Manoilo. According to the expert, the Ukrainian leadership is trying to carry out its initiatives with the support of the West, realizing that Kiev’s proposals for border control will not find understanding in Donetsk and Lugansk.

“And besides, Zelensky’s reluctance to engage in direct dialogue with the DPR and LPR indicates his lack of confidence in his ability to conduct such negotiations. In general, it seems that today, for the Ukrainian leader, it is not the result itself that matters, but his personal image, ”the expert explained in a comment to RT.

At the same time, the Ukrainian side often brings charges against the DPR and LPR, saying that the republics allegedly impede the implementation of Minsk. So, on February 18, Vladimir Zelensky wrote on his Facebook page about an attack on the AFU’s position, which was allegedly carried out by militiamen in the area of ​​several settlements.

“This is an attempt to disrupt the peace process in the Donbass, which has begun to move forward, albeit by small but relentless steps,” the Ukrainian leader wrote, adding that he had already announced the convening of an extraordinary meeting of the NSDC.

In the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass, they also announced shelling by the Armed Forces, which occurred on the morning of February 18. According to the representative of the DPR in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC), the Ukrainian military opened fire from heavy weapons at around 9:00 on February 18, resulting in damage to five residential buildings.

Power scenario

However, a new summit in the Norman format will not take place until the parties fulfill the decisions of the previous meeting.

“To hold this meeting, at least you need to re-read the Paris document and try to comprehend whether something has been done,” said Dmitry Peskov.

  • Sergey Lavrov
  • RIA News
  • © RF MFA

A similar comment was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In his speech following the results of the Munich Conference, the Minister noted that a new meeting in the Norman format is possible only if the decisions of the Paris summit held in December 2019 are implemented. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that so far there has been no progress on the obligations undertaken by the Ukrainian side.

Recall that following the December summit in Norman format, the participants signed a statement consisting of three points. They spoke of the need to implement the political part of Minsk-2, including the approval by Ukraine of a law on the special status of certain regions of Donbass.

According to Andrei Manoilo, to demand from Kiev the implementation of the decisions of the December summit as a condition for making a new meeting in the Norman format is the right approach.

“This is a very correct position, because otherwise the Ukrainian side will use the Norman format not for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, but for various kinds of political demarches,” the expert said.

  • APU soldiers in the Donbass
  • Reuters
  • © Yevgen Honcharenko / Pool

The topic of execution of the Minsk agreements was also raised during a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, held on February 14 at the initiative of the Ukrainian side. During the conversation, Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky discussed various aspects of resolving the situation in the Donbass.

According to the Kremlin’s press service, following the conversation, Vladimir Putin “directly posed the question” about “whether Kiev intends to really implement the Minsk agreements.”

According to Andrei Manoilo, today Kiev is creating a deadlock for a settlement in the Donbass.

“This is because Kiev actually did not give up the power scenario, the Ukrainian side still hopes to suppress the resistance of Donbass by force. For this, it is precisely the authorities of Ukraine that demand to transfer control over the border to them, ”the expert explained.

According to Andrei Manoilo, if the border is under the control of the Ukrainian security forces before a political settlement, the implementation of the Minsk agreements will simply end.

“Kiev needs the border in order to economically strangle the LPR and the DPR, and not in order to implement the Minsk agreements. And the elections will be postponed for years, the plan is very simple, in fact, this is the Croatian scenario. After cordoning off the territory, a foreign contingent will be allowed to enter there under the guise of peacekeepers, ”the expert is sure.

A similar point of view is shared by Vladimir Zharikhin. According to the expert, Kiev wants to surround the Donetsk and Lugansk republics with its troops in order to achieve a military victory in the future.

“I’m afraid that if Kiev gains control of the border, then in the Donbass there will be no elections at all. Under some pretext, the elections will be foiled, and total control over this territory will simply be established. Kiev counts on it, putting forward its initiatives, ”the expert summed up.