In Minsk, the regular meeting of the contact group to resolve the conflict in southeastern Ukraine ended. As the RF envoy Boris Gryzlov stated, Kiev refused to sign the Steinmeier formula, which determines the procedure for granting Donbass special status.

“Representatives of Kiev refused to sign the Steinmeier formula, that is, they refused to agree on the procedure for legal and actual consolidation of the special status of Donbass. This is the same document that was agreed on September 11 by political advisers to the leaders of the Norman Four countries and proposed to the contact group for signing, ”Gryzlov said.

According to him, thus, Kiev grossly violates the Minsk agreements. He added that by their actions the Ukrainian side also foiled the decision to deploy forces in Petrovsky and Zolotoy, since security and policy issues should be synchronized.

“By such actions, Kiev threatened the summit of the Norman Four, as the condition for the summit was a successful outcome in these two areas,” the Russian envoy explained.

The situation was discussed during a telephone conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Germany Sergey Lavrov and Heiko Maas. The negotiations were initiated by the German side.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko said he agreed to the “Steinmeier formula” during the meeting of the Norman Four advisers on September 2.

“I can cite what I agreed to ... Advisers agreed on a specific text. It is written absolutely clearly: the law on special status enters into force in the preliminary format at the time of the election, and finally enters into force after the decision of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. This is what is written in the solution. There is nothing more there, ”the European Truth publication quoted the diplomat as saying.

  • Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Boris Gryzlov after the meeting of the tripartite contact group to resolve the situation in the Donbass in Minsk. Archive photo
  • RIA News
  • © Victor Tolochko

The position of the republics of Donbass and Ukraine

We add that representatives of the self-proclaimed Donbass republics also expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the Ukrainian side.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk People’s Republic Natalia Nikonorova, Kiev will not be able to “endlessly sabotage work on the political track”.

“Ukrainian representatives continue to distort the meaning of the compromise formula, mistakenly giving priority to addressing security issues,” she explained.

In turn, the representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic in the humanitarian subgroup Olga Kobtseva added that Ukraine is not interested in constructive cooperation on the issue of the exchange of illegally held persons.

“Once again, the Ukrainian side has not fulfilled its obligations regarding the procedural“ cleaning ”of people to be exchanged, and we, representatives of the republics, regard this as deliberate inhibition and delay of exchange,” RIA Novosti quoted the head of the LPR working group on prisoner exchange.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side made statements of a completely opposite nature. According to Daria Olifer, spokeswoman for the representative of Kiev in the contact group for Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, significant progress has been made on the issue of prisoner exchange. In addition, the readiness for the separation of forces and assets in the area of ​​Zolotoy and Petrovsky was confirmed.

As for the Steinmeier formula, Kiev supposedly has no fundamental objections to the merits.

“The implementation of this formula is possible only if the following points are met: a complete ceasefire; ensuring effective monitoring of the OSCE SMM throughout Ukraine; withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine of armed formations of foreign troops and military equipment; withdrawal of forces and assets along the entire line of contact; ensuring the work of the CEC of Ukraine, Ukrainian political parties, the media and foreign observers; establishing control over a section of the Russian-Ukrainian border beyond the control of Ukraine, ”she wrote on Facebook.

Either agree or not

According to Oleg Morozov, a member of the Federation Council committee on international affairs, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry probably misled when he announced his consent to Steinmeier’s formula, since in that case the meeting in Minsk would have ended with a different outcome.

"I strongly suspect that in this case we are dealing with the approach" we agree on the Steinmeier formula, but we will explain for ourselves which concept we agree on. " Although in this case it is necessary to agree with the whole concept as a whole, and there is no point in discussing some fragmentary points that you like or dislike. The Steinmeier formula, like the Minsk agreements, makes sense only as a general plan with all interrelated points, ”the source said.

According to the director of the Institute of Contemporary State Development, Dmitry Solonnikov, the current situation indicates the low competence of the current Ukrainian leadership and the inability to make strong-willed decisions.

“Say that you refuse the Minsk process, and then everything is clear, you are not doing anything. Or say what you are doing - then do it. But they can not say either one or the other, therefore they find themselves periodically in such a stupid situation. It just speaks of the quality of the current Ukrainian government, ”the expert said.

In his opinion, the likelihood of a summit of leaders of the "Norman Four" in the near future is almost ruled out.

“To meet, to meet, to show off in front of television cameras - why is this necessary? In addition to Zelensky, nobody needs it - neither Germany, nor Russia, nor France, ”Solonnikov said in an interview with RT.