Germany and Russia want to bring the United States to the negotiating table over Ukraine
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Russia, Sigmar Gabriel and Sergey Lavrov favored the involvement of the United States in negotiations on settlement of the situation in the Donbas. They stated this after bilateral negotiations in Moscow, UNIAN reported.
In particular, Gabriel said that the Federal Republic of Germany and Russia are seeking contact with a new U.S Administration but now it is difficult to find interlocutors there until they got everything settled.
“As for eastern Ukraine, we are interested in the fact that the Normandy Format is a format, which not only accompanies but also monitors the implementation of Minsk Agreements. We are interested that the United Stated was not only informed but also used its abilities to influence all, who it can influence,” Gabriel said.
“We would like to support our U.S colleagues in order they use their role and influence,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany added. In turn, Sergey Lavrov added that the U.S system is organized in such way that many officials are appointed only after the procedure of hearings in the Senate and it takes time. Besides, not all positions in the U.S State Department have been filled.
“This all makes it difficult to actively work with our U.S partners. This also applies to Ukraine,” Sergey Lavrov said. The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Moscow established a channel of bilateral consultations in parallel with the Normandy format after the adoption of Minsk-2.
“These consultations were held in the same way as those of the Normandy Format in order to implement the Minsk Agreements. I am convinced that any involvement of the United States in further implementation of Minsk Agreements would be very useful,” Lavrov stated. Sergey Lavrov also emphasized that there is practically not a single conflict, where it would be possible to do without the United States.