Ukrainian President Zelensky: preparations for the Normandy format meeting have started
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, at a joint briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, said that the advisers of the member-countries of the Normandy format will meet soon to prepare for the meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia, reports Ukrinform News Agency.
"We agreed on the importance of restoring cooperation within the Normandy format. Our foreign policy advisers will meet soon and prepare the next meeting of the leaders. This is a key issue," said Zelensky.
Zelensky noted that the Ukrainian people entrusted him with the search for difficult compromises in the Minsk negotiation process.
"The end of the war and the return of the annexed Ukrainian territories is my most important assignment. However, I understand that it is impossible to establish peace by military means – the price of thousands of human lives is too high. The only key to the restoration of peace is diplomatic and sanctions pressure. Therefore, I ask you to keep it," said Zelensky.
The Secretary of National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk said he believes that Normandy format meeting might happen in mid-July.
The Normandy four is a format for negotiations on resolving the conflict in the Donbas, which includes Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia. The last summit of the Normandy four was held in the autumn of 2016. Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has repeatedly said that the problem of the Normandy format is not its structure but the Kremlin's unwillingness to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.