KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen has denied on Friday the expediency of moving the regular peace negotiation on Donbas conflict from the Belarusian capital of Minsk some place else.
On several occasions since mid-August, Ukrainian envoy in the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas Leonid Kravchuk suggested that the talks be moved away from Minsk due to the complicated political situation in Belarus. As an alternative, he suggested Switzerland, Sweden or Finland.
"There is no such need at the moment as the Minsk talks proceed in virtual format. This will continue at least till the year-end and most likely beyond. But, of course, we follow what is taking place in Belarus, and talks emerge occasionally whether the negotiations' venue should be changed," Feldhusen told the Evropeyska Pravda newspaper, going on to clarify that no serious talks were held and concrete decisions made on the matter.
Belarus is also a more convenient option because moving the talks to any European country would require additional efforts for lifting the entry restrictions for non-European negotiators, the diplomat added.
The German ambassador further commended Ukraine for switching from the reactive stance to proactive at the Minsk talks.
"Over the past year, Ukraine has become very active. Previously it seemed that Ukraine was simply reacting to Russia's actions. Now it is predominantly Ukraine who acts, while Russia reacts. Whether it is a strategy or Ukraine simply experiences an upsurge of enthusiasm, it is still good that Ukraine takes the initiative in Minsk," Feldhusen said.
According to the ambassador, the improvement of the negotiation dynamic is Minsk could be due to the change in the delegations' composition, which� is apparently a reference to the replacement of former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma by Kravchuk as Kiev's envoy to the trilateral contact group, which includes Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
At the same time, Feldhusen said she saw no reasons to bring into this format France and Germany, the two countries which together with Russia and Ukraine make up another political platform for the Donbas peace process, known as the Normandy Four.�
The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 when the army launched an offensive against the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known together as Donbas, after they proclaimed independence from Kiev. Their decision came in response to what they considered to have been a coup in the Ukrainian capital that toppled the old government in February of that year.
