VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2020) Alexander Lukashevich, the Russian permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday accused Ukraine of not implementing the Normandy Four decisions and thus bringing into question the timing of the next meeting.
He stressed that the December 9 summit had not led to a breakthrough in the settlement process with the prisoner exchange between Kiev and Donbas being the only summit's decision that is being at least partly implemented. He also criticized Ukraine's attitude during the Wednesday meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk.
"The behavior of the Kiev's representatives in the contact group, including during its yesterday's session, as well as the statements coming from them, make us doubt that we will be able to implement the aforementioned measures in the coming weeks, or maybe months. All of it throws into question the timing of the [Russian, Ukrainian, German, and French] leaders' next Normandy Four meeting," Lukashevich said during the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.
The Russian representative drew the attention of the German and French partners to the signs of Kiev stalling the implementation of the Normandy Four decisions urging Berlin and Paris to send a clear signal to Ukraine that the decisions have to be implemented.
The Normandy format was created in 2014 by Russia, Germany, France, and Ukraine to formulate a solution for the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region. Its last meeting was on December 9, 2019 in Paris.
