Donbas Conflict: Normandy Talks Leaders to Sign Ceasefire Agreement

Ukraine insists on deciphering every clause of the Minsk agreements, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated during a press conference in Luhanska Stanytsia. Ukraine wants to get answers to all the questions related to the Minsk agreements implementation regarding the conflict settlement in Donbas.

President Zelensky also noted that the agreement on a complete and comprehensive ceasefire on the demarcation line in Donbas, starting from 27 July, has to be signed by the Quartet leaders. That will increase its status and the fulfilment chances, the President’s press service reports.

“We really have a lot of professionals who are engaged in constant negotiations in the TCG’s meeting format (Tripartite Contact Group. – Ed.). They have agreed on a serious step for our whole country – a permanent ceasefire. This document awaits signing by all ”Normandy Group’ parties. I believe that all parties – Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia – will sign it. I believe, that starting from the 27th, the permanent ceasefire may come,” Volodymyr Zelensky declared during a working trip to Donbas.

The President noted that the “Normandy 4” leaders are to sign the agreement, which increases the status of these agreements.

At that time, Russia interpreted the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine resolution on local elections on 25 October everywhere, except the territories of ORDLO and Crimea, uncontrolled by Kyiv, as a factual leaving the Minsk agreements. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated this at a briefing. The broadcast of it was placed on the YouTube channel “RT in Russian.”

According to Zakharova, the Ukrainian parliament’s decision contradicts a set of agreed measures to resolve the conflict in Donbas.

“This situation cannot help worrying us. We demand clear explanations from the Ukrainian side on this issue,” she said.

At the same time, Zakharova noted the positive changes in the implementation of the Paris summit decisions in 2019 in the “Normandy talks” format. According to her, one expects that the contact group agreement on additional measures to strengthen the “silence regime” will be signed.

Natalia Tolub