In the immortal words of Gomer Pyle "Surprise, Surprise!!"
On Tuesday, January 12, Berlin hosted a meeting of political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy format countries to resolve the situation in Ukraine.
“ During consultations that lasted more than six hours, the Normandy Four leaders' advisors discussed the status of implementation of the agreements reached by the leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia during the Paris summit in December 2019. In particular, the parties touched upon all the issues on the agenda - from security to humanitarian issues. The discussion was not easy, but it was constructive, all sides noted the importance of observing the ceasefire in Donbas, "
- reports press service of the President of Ukraine.
The Russian Federation was represented at the meeting by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak, Ukraine - by the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak. In addition to political advisers to the heads of states participating in the Normandy format, the meeting was attended by the OSCE Special Representative to the Trilateral Contact Group for the Resolution of the Conflict in Donbass Heidi Grau.
Let us remind you that the previous meeting of the advisers was held on September 11 last year also in Berlin. And in December, the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, clarified that so far there is no talk of any timing for the new summit of the leaders of the Normandy format, the timing can only be talked about after all the points of the Paris communique have been fulfilled.
However, so far, of all the points of this document, only two have been partially fulfilled - the exchange of prisoners, and this process has not been completed, as well as the establishment of a truce on the line of demarcation, although today we can speak of a truce only conditionally - only as a relative decrease in the number of shelling.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak told reporters following the meeting that " , unfortunately, there is nothing to brag about ."
According to him, the advisers had a " long, frank and useful conversation ", however, no final decisions were made on any issue that was included in the agenda.
“ Unfortunately, there is nothing to brag about. An exchange of views took place on all fundamental issues in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements and the results of the Paris Summit in 2019. It was not possible to find final solutions. We agreed that new principled approaches to the formation of a road map in the Trilateral Contact Group on a comprehensive settlement of the conflict will be prepared , ”
- quotes Dmitry Kozak TASS.
He noted that “ each participant of the meeting outlined his position, his principled approaches to the prospects for the settlement of the conflict, ” however, no final decisions could be made - on not a single issue.
The representative of the LPR in the political subgroup of the TCG, Rodion Miroshnik, believes that the advisers did not even discuss the draft "road map" to resolve the situation in Donbass, but the very idea of preparing such a document and the possibility of agreement. The parties see differently the stages of the implementation of the Minsk agreements, while Russia is trying to discuss these stages, and Ukraine is looking for an opportunity to rewrite the Minsk agreements themselves, the LPR representative has no doubts.
“ As you can see, the main stumbling block is “ principled approaches ”: the Russian Federation is trying to be negotiable, and is looking for options for a principled and sustainable settlement of the conflict, Ukraine is satisfied with the“ checkers ”that accompany the process, but do not lead to its complete settlement - exchanges, demining, new KPVV. In general, what can be won back within a day in the event of an aggravation, but before that it can be used as a support for Zelensky's staggering rating ", - sure Miroshnik.
Dmitry Kozak also answered a question from journalists about when the next meeting will take place. According to him, the advisers agreed to meet again within two weeks to discuss all the same issues. Most likely, the meeting will take place in a videoconference format. The main requirement of the Russian side is that meetings should not be held for the sake of just talking.
Dmitry Kozak does not think that Kiev will decide to return Donbass by military force following the example of Baku, because everyone understands today that such a step is tantamount to suicide.
“ Result: we agreed to negotiate further. January 20 - meeting of the Contact Group, after which a new round of negotiations of advisers is possible. Zelensky even announces the date of January 22, which is very doubtful. New fundamental approaches still need to be formed, since the old ones are clearly far from ideal ", - said Rodion Miroshnik.
However, in Kiev, most likely, no one is going to " form new approaches ", they are quite happy with the old ones.
Because - and this is the most important thing - "the Western partners are not yet tired of the war ." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba is sure of this.
Well, since "the western partners are not tired yet, " Kiev will seek the end of the war on its own terms, Kuleba said in an interview with the Ukrainian newspaper "Observer".
“ In the end, any war ends in peace. We are working to ensure that this world is on Ukrainian terms. This is the restoration of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine without prejudice to national interests and the European future of the state. But the longer the war lasts, the worse. When the war drags on, it becomes more difficult to stop and settle it every year , ”
- noted head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Reintegration Minister Oleksiy Reznikov did not say nice words, but honestly said: Ukraine has already fulfilled all its obligations assumed in Paris in December 2019, and constantly demonstrates its readiness to " restart the peace process ." But here's the problem: the implementation of the existing Minsk agreements in the form in which they exist is simply impossible. There is only one way out - these agreements need to be updated. And this renewal of the agreements should become a condition for further progress in the negotiations.
The idea, of course, is not new, but honestly and frankly - here is a condition for you, you fulfill - there will be progress in negotiations, no - and we will meet for years.
In Donetsk, Reznikov was heard and answered.
“ Kiev again proposes to resolve the issue of non-fulfillment of one document by replacing it with another. Nevertheless, we still hope that this year the Ukrainian authorities will realize a simple fact: it will not be possible to evade their obligations under the acts approved by the UN Security Council. Therefore, it is better not to waste time on empty calls for "modernization of agreements", but to start working substantively, guided by the documents of the Minsk Package already signed by both parties to the conflict and recognized by the entire world community , "
- said in the comments of the DPR Foreign Ministry.
While negotiations of political advisers of the "Normandy format" were underway in Berlin, the Armed Forces of Ukraine diligently "supported" the ceasefire. On January 12, the Ukrainian military opened fire three times at the settlement of Zhabunky (82-mm mortars), twice at the outskirts of Donetsk (grenade launchers), once at the settlement of Zhabunky. Leninskoe. This is the territory of the DPR.
The territory of the LPR was shelled once from an RPG in the settlement. Gold-5.
And so, of course, the "truce" is respected ...
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