On Wednesday morning, August 7, at the initiative of Kiev, a telephone conversation took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky. This was reported by the Kremlin press service.

The heads of state discussed the settlement of the conflict in Donbass, the prospects for cooperation in the Norman format, and also agreed to intensify work on the return of prisoners.

To de-escalate the conflict, the Russian leader urged first to exclude further shelling by the Ukrainian security forces of the settlements of Donbass, which lead to the deaths of civilians.

“The critical importance of the consistent implementation of the Minsk agreements, including the legal aspects of granting the DNR and LC a special status, was also confirmed. In this context, the need for a constructive dialogue between the parties, including within the framework of the Minsk contact group, was noted, ”the Kremlin said.

This is the second telephone conversation between Putin and Zelensky. The first conversation took place on July 11 and was also initiated by Kiev.

Earlier, the President of Ukraine during a meeting attended by Chief of the General Staff Ruslan Khomchak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexander Danilyuk, as well as representatives of key divisions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, spoke about the morning telephone conversation with the Russian leader. dedicated situation in the Donbass.

According to him, during the "long conversation" he turned to Putin with a request to influence "on the other side so that they stop the killings." In addition, during the conversation, the topic of the return of Ukrainian prisoners and the construction of a bridge in the Village of Lugansk was raised.

In addition, Zelensky expects to discuss with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron the possibility of an urgent meeting of the "Norman Four" so that the leaders of these states can "look into each other's eyes and end this war."

The day before, on August 6, the president of Ukraine also addressed the leaders of Russia, Germany and France in a video message on his Facebook page. He called "to get together as soon as possible to resume negotiations" in the Norman format.

This appeal, as well as telephone conversations between Putin and Zelensky, took place after the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported the deaths of four servicemen in the Donbass. The Ukrainian side accused the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics of disrupting the ceasefire.

“Ukraine sincerely seeks peace. And our desire is unchanging. Today, the whole world saw who exactly does not want the world, ”Zelensky said on August 6.

  • An officer of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (SCCC) records damage after shelling of the city of Gorlovka, Donetsk region of Ukraine
  • © Sergey Averin

At the same time, the DPR People’s Police declared their non-involvement in the incident. The department indicated that the death of the Ukrainian military occurred "more than four kilometers from the contact line." Later in Donetsk they said that the Ukrainian army began preparations for active hostilities.

“Our intelligence obtained data on bringing to the highest levels of combat readiness and advancement to the front line of units and units of the reserve of the armed forces of Ukraine in the Mariupol direction,” the Donetsk People’s News agency said in a statement.

"Zelensky must get out of the way of Poroshenko"

Vladimir Zelensky called for a meeting of the "Norman Four" only now, despite the fact that earlier in the Donbass, Ukrainian troops carried out shelling, which killed civilians in the region. In a conversation with RT, this was indicated by a member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sergei Tsekov.

“It’s bad that he did not pay attention to previous incidents, as a result of which civilians were injured and killed. I am convinced that all meetings in the Norman format cannot finally end the war in the Donbass, the government of Ukraine can end the war. They should enter into direct negotiations with the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. Zelensky must be turned off the path that the previous president has trodden on. But it seems that he is on this path, ”Tsekov emphasized.

State Duma deputy from Sevastopol Dmitry Belik also noted that Zelensky took a very interesting position: he does not attach importance to information about shelling by the Ukrainian security forces of the territories of the self-proclaimed republics, but he emotionally reacts to alleged ceasefire violations by representatives of the DPR and LPR republics.

“Of course, Zelensky“ subtly ”alludes to those responsible and tries to blame the DPR, and, implicitly, Russia. Against the background of statements by the DPR leadership on the activation of the Ukrainian military on the demarcation line, the dark story of the death of people, the urgent, emphasized pathos call of Zelensky to collect the “Norman” format looks like a planned provocation, ”the source said.