KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th November, 2021) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed Russia is "slowing down" the preparation of Normandy format meetings.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday said it is impossible to hold a meeting of the Normandy format foreign ministers on November 11, as Germany and France offer, because of his schedule and because there has been no reaction yet to Moscow's proposals on the final meeting document. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik Russia is ready for Normandy format ministerial talks and a summit, but it is necessary to prepare a document in advance, which is difficult.
"Recently, Ukraine received, simultaneously with Germany and France, a draft final document of the Normandy format ministerial meeting, suggested by the Russian Federation. It was far from previous proposals drafted by Germany and France... This is not a draft document, but an attempt to slow down the process, undermine the efforts of our German and French partners as intermediaries who are trying to organize productive meetings," the UNN news agency quoted Kuleba as saying.
He said the German-French draft constitutes a good basis for reaching agreement on the final document of the Normandy format ministerial meeting.
"Once again I urge the Russian side to constructive involvement in the real process of political and diplomatic settlement," Kuleba said.
The Normandy format of talks on Ukraine has existed since June 2014. Then during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the leaders of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France discussed the settlement of the conflict in Donbas for the first time.
The previous summit was held in Paris on December 9, 2019. Recently, the parties at different levels have been discussing the prospects for interaction in this format.
