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The Russian and Ukrainian Presidents agreed at their first meeting Monday in Paris of a series of measures to relaunch the peace process in Ukraine, but especially noted their disagreement on its political side, meeting in four months to try to overcome it.
Consolidation of the cease-fire, new exchange of all prisoners remaining by the end of December, new withdrawal of combatants from three zones by the end of March next ... The summit sent several positive signals.
But for the Ukrainian president, the result of this meeting, " it is very little ". " I would like to solve more problems, " Volodymyr Zelenskiy summed up at a joint summit press conference under the auspices of the French president and the German chancellor.
Vladimir Putin was more optimistic, hailing an " important step " towards a de-escalation and " no doubt " a thaw. " Russia will do everything it can to get the conflict over, " said the Russian president.
The four leaders have at least agreed on one point after three years of paralysis in the peace process: " The fact that we are side by side is in itself an important result ," said Emmanuel Macron. He described the war between Kiev and the pro-Russian separatists as "an open wound in the heart of the European continent ", which has killed more than 13,000 people in Donbass and displaced one million since 2014.
The problem of the border
But the Ukrainian president could not tear off the concessions he demanded for the organization of local elections in Donbass. Kiev fears that they will be made under separatist conditions and are not free and transparent.
It calls for the prior dismantling of all " illegal " armed groups - including pro-Russian separatists and their Russian sponsors - and the return of Ukraine's eastern border with Russia under Ukrainian control. " We have complete differences on the border, " he said.
Moscow is calling for the implementation of the Minsk agreements that provide for the return of the Ukrainian-controlled border after the elections only.
See you in four months
Volodymyr Zelensky, a political novice, is also under pressure from his opinion , who fears he will make too many concessions to Vladimir Putin. Several events have taken place in recent days. According to the agency Interfax, the protesters gathered Monday evening in front of the presidency estimated that the head of state " did not cross any red line " in Paris.
In an attempt to overcome the differences, the four leaders agreed to floor their diplomatic leaders on " the political and security conditions " for the elections and to meet for a new summit "within four months".
(with AFP)