Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Tuesday called on Russia to return to the negotiating table as part of the so-called Normandy Four talks on the settlement of the military conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th September, 2018) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Tuesday called on Russia to return to the negotiating table as part of the so-called Normandy Four talks on the settlement of the military conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that it was impossible to speak about holding the next Normandy format meetings after the recent killing of Alexander Zakharchenko, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in Donbas.
"I would like to call on Russia to return to the negotiating table because this return is necessary for the Normandy format ... because it is the single format which currently exists, it is the single opportunity to hold talks and someday find a solution," Kurz said after his talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
The Austrian chancellor emphasized the need for dialogue in peacefully resolving the Ukrainian conflict.
Kurz also called for the prolongation of Western sanctions on Russia as a measure of response to Moscow's alleged aggression.
The chancellor's statement was broadcast on Ukrainian tv channels.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that it was difficult to discuss anything with the authorities in Kiev after Zakharchenko's murder, noting that this did not mean Russia would withdraw from the Minsk agreements. The presidential spokesman went on to emphasize Russia's commitment to the Minsk process.
In 2014, the Ukrainian army started an offensive against Donbas residents who refused to recognize the newly-formed government. The conflict between the DPR and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) on one side, and Kiev' forces on the other has claimed over 10,000 lives, according to UN figures, and is still ongoing.
Efforts to stabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine have been made by the Normandy Four group comprising Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany.
In particular, the Normandy Four brokered the Minsk peace accords, which were signed by the sides to the conflict in a bid to end hostilities. However, the warring parties have failed to observe the ceasefire, so the unrest in Donbas continues.
The European Union has introduced sanctions against Russia over its alleged meddling in the Donbas crisis, something which Moscow has repeatedly denied. Russia has also criticized the EU decision to make sanctions relief conditional on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, reiterating that it was not a party to the conflict.
