Leaders of the «Norman format» failed to agree on a summit, limited to talks at the level of foreign ministers of four states. The Russian newspaper «Kommersant» writes about this format of the meeting, citing its own sources.
So, this week there were important talks of the leaders of the «Norman format» in a triple format: Ukraine-France-Germany and France-Germany-Russia. According to Kommersant, citing its sources, the issue of holding the summit at the highest level was the main one during the discussion.
However, according to journalists, the political advisers of the «four» have not yet managed to agree on a draft of the possible summit. In particular, according to «Kommersant», there are «serious differences in literally every sentence in the text».
«For example, if the Franco-German draft document proposes to write that the results of the Paris summit in 2019 are to be fully implemented without delay, then Moscow wants to see the following is: the parties are deeply disappointed to note the non-implementation of the agreed results Paris,» the edition writes.
According to journalists, it is important for Russia to point out that the responsibility for the «lack of progress» in resolving the conflict lies with Kyiv.
Also, according to «Kommersant», during talks with the leaders of France and Germany, Putin spoke of «no reason for a new meeting». In response, Germany and France allegedly offered to organize at least a meeting of foreign ministers of the «Quartet of Normandy», which last met in the spring of 2020.
In response, according to «Kommersant», the Russian side «made it clear to the German and French partners that it would be better for the ministers to hold a fruitless meeting than the «leaders of the Normans».
It is reported that if nothing changes in the near future, the meeting of the foreign ministers of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France will take place in the next two weeks. According to journalists, it will be a «compromise alternative» to the summit. The discussion about where and how the ministers will talk has already begun. One possible option is a video conferencing format.
Earlier, following a telephone conversation between the leaders of Russia, France and Germany on October 11, the Kremlin said that the parties had agreed to hold a meeting of the «Quartet of Normandy» at the level of foreign ministers to discuss, among other things, the possible preconditions for a possible organizations, where appropriate, and the «Normandy Summit».
