"Normandy Four" - Format for Dialogue with Russia?

• 10.20.2016, 18:12
•  Europe,  World

sprotyv.info

Normandy Four leaders have agreed that their ministers of foreign affairs shall prepare a road map for the implementation of the Minsk peace agreements on Donbass by the end of November 2016, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said after a meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia in Berlin on Wednesday, Interfax reports.

It should be noted, that the prospects of holding the prospects of holding elections and separation of the conflicting sides in Donbass now are probably the most challenging issues, which don’t allow the sides to move forward in the implementation of the Minsk agreements. According to the Minsk agreements, one of the points of conflict resolution in Donbass is providing real special status to Donetsk and Lugansk, which includes the fixation of this special status in the legislation, as well as the procedure of holding local elections. But Kiev is ready to take this step only after the elections in Donbass will be held in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, but Donbass insists first and foremost on granting it a special status.

It should be noted that during the last year the implementation of the Minsk agreements by and large was deadlocked. So far, major progress has been recorded in the implementation of the military aspects of the agreements, in particular the issue of the removal of arms from the frontline. Although it was possible to reach an agreement with Donetsk and Lugansk representatives on the holding local elections, according to the Ukrainian legislation, Kiev did a part of the constitutional reforms, which were foreseen by the Minsk agreements, particularly decentralization of power in Ukraine, but failed to make progress in the implementation of economic and humanitarian components.

The "Normandy Four" leaders, who last met in December 2015, have repeatedly stated that they would meet, if they saw a real opportunity of the conflict resolution in Ukraine. Today, however, there are serious concerns about the conflict escalation in the east of Ukraine in connection with the murder of Motorola - Donbass militia leader. The leaders decided to meet in order to avoid it, experts believe. According to them, there is a lack of political will to resolve the Ukrainian crisis both by Russia and the West. At the same time this issue for Europe seems to have receded. Because of worsening relations with Russia over Syria, Europe now prefers to strengthen its own security, especially the Baltic states avoid unnecessary confrontation with Russia. Perhaps this is evidenced by the fact that it moves around holding a meeting in the Norman format intensified after it became clear that Hollande-Putin meeting on the Syrian conflict won't be held.