Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed hope that the negotiations of the advisors of the Normandy quartet leaders next week will take place in the format of a personal meeting, but added that if the head of the Office of the President Andrey Yermak does not recover from COVID-19 by that time, decisions will be made depending on the situation.

"Certainly, the ideal scenario is for this meeting to take place exactly physically, in person, because with all due respect and sympathy for modern technology, nothing can replace a face-to-face meeting. Let's hope Ermak recovers before this trip. If not, appropriate decisions will be made depending on the situation," Kuleba said in an online briefing Friday.

He added that Yermak continues to work on preparations for this meeting. "Despite his illness, Andrei Yermak remains in touch and is fully on the job. Yesterday, in particular, he chaired an online meeting to prepare for a meeting of advisers in the Normandy format, so he in no way stopped working on the preparation of this meeting," the minister stressed.