• Russia, returned to Ukraine three ships seized a year ago
  • Way to the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia

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10 December 2019From almost symbolic meeting at the river top. In Paris, the Normandy format summit on the future of Ukraine has smashed every planned ladder and the four leaders, in a swirl of bilateral negotiations and business dinners, have been on their feet. But the outcome seems to be positive. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a joke snatched from journalists, said he was "satisfied" with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Which in turn, through the spokesman, called the negotiations "a success". Of course, the devil is in the details and it remains to understand the measure of so much optimism. Zelensky, the newcomer to the 'big game' of international summits, seemed at times disorientated and was helped by the landlord, Emmanuel Macron, to find his place at the round table, placed in a single room of the Elysium, in which the four sat for the vertex proper.

First the program included the bilateral Zelensky-Macron and Putin-Merkel, then the change of couple (Putin-Macron, Zelensky-Merkel). Then the four-party talks, followed by the first private meeting between Putin and Zelensky (apparently lasted 15 minutes). The leaders then met again at the working dinner, which continued well beyond the initial forecasts. And it is here that the real work seems to have begun, to file the words to be included in the joint press release before the press conference (four the admitted questions, one per country). The Ukrainian president has been able to count on a large group of advisers to assist him at various points in the program (including the head of the security services, the head of the army, the number one of the national gas company, Naftogaz, and the minister Energy). Zelensky had highlighted three key topics of the summit: a further exchange of prisoners, a ceasefire and local elections in the Donbass. Ukraine is anxiously awaiting the outcome of this summit and there is no lack, at home, of the opposition for what is judged as a line of 'appeasement' with Moscow. That is, to end the war in the Donbass, without ifs or buts. And therefore it is crucial to understand if there are clear steps forward on the implementation of the Minsk agreements - fundamental also to remove the sanctions against Russia - or if it is only intentions. The other hot topic is the renewal of the gas supply contract in Kiev, which expires on December 31, 2019. Finding an agreement to renew it is in the interest of both Zelensky and Putin (who also in Paris could count on the presence of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, and Energy Minister Alexander Novak, the "gas lords" Also on this front something has transpired. And that is that further negotiations will be needed in different formats - bilateral and trilateral with the European Commission - to reach an agreement.


Here are the highlights of the summit:

- A new exchange of prisoners based on the 'all for all' principle, or the return of all known prisoners on both sides. The date set, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is that of December 24th.

- The parties are committed to a full and complete implementation of the ceasefire, reinforced by the implementation of all the necessary support measures for the truce, before the end of 2011.

- The parties will support an agreement within the Trilateral Contact Group on three further areas of disengagement from the front, with the aim of demobilizing forces and means by the end of March 2020.

- The parties will support an agreement within the Trilateral Contact Group, within 30 days, on new crossing points along the front line, based mainly on humanitarian criteria.

- The parties consider it necessary to integrate the "Steinmeier formula" into Ukrainian legislation, in accordance with the version agreed in the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group.

- A new Normandy format summit will be organized in four months to verify the progress of the agreements and continue the discussion to find "compromise points" on the unresolved issues.