Putin, Merkel & Macron discuss Ukraine issue; stress on value of Normandy format: Kremlin

In a phone conversation, Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron recently discussed the Ukraine issue. According to a statement by the Kremlin, the three leaders discussed in detail the “worrying stalemate” in the effort to end the internal conflict in Ukraine. During their conversation, Merkle, Putin and Macron even noted the importance of implementing the 2015 Minsk agreements as the only possible basis for a settlement. 

"Interest was also expressed in further coordinating efforts in the Normandy format of Russia, Germany and France," the statement added.  

In recent years tensions have been rising over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, with rampant ceasefire violations and a massive Russian military buildup near its border with the region. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until its 1991 collapse. The separatist conflict in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, known as the Donbass, erupted in April 2014.

Ukraine and the Western nations have said Russia sent troops and weapons to the east to support the separatists. Moscow, on the other hand, has denied those claims and insisted that Russians fighting alongside the rebels went there on their own. Ukraine and the West have become worried about the Russian Army's concentration and have even urged Moscow to pull them back. However, Russia has argued that it's free to deploy its forces on its territory and sternly warned the government in Kyiv against using force to reclaim control of the rebel-held territory. 

Amid the hostilities, France and Germany then helped broker a peace deal that was signed in February 2015 in Minsk. The agreement helped end large-scale hostilities, however, sporadic skirmishes have continued and efforts at a political settlement have stalled. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly pushed for revising the Minsk deal but Russia has rejected the calls.

Possible Normandy Four summit

Amid tensions over southeast Ukraine, the three leaders asked their political advisors and foreign ministries to step up contacts and work in the Normandy Four format, which also includes Ukraine. They also agreed to continue to use corresponding channels to look at a possibility to organize a Normandy summit if it is expedient, Kremlin said. Macron, Putin and Merkel also discussed some other international issues as well, including counter-terrorism efforts on the African continent. 

Apart from that, Putin made "high-principled assessment of Kiev's policies of stubbornly dodging its obligations under the Minsk Accords and agreements of the previous Normandy-format summits, including the one in Paris (December 9, 2019)," Kremlin said.

Meanwhile, according to the TASS news agency, previously, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that he had had a telephone conversation with Macron and Merkel to discuss issues of the Donbass conflict settlement and preparations for a Normandy Four summit. Putin’s previous conversation with Macron and Merkel, on the other hand, took place in the videoconference format on 30 March. The Russian President then expressed concern over Kyiv’s destabilising actions in Donbass.

(Image: AP)