On Wednesday, January 26, a meeting of advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four countries - Germany, France, Russia, and Ukraine - will be held in Elysee Palace, Paris.
This is reported by Deutsche Welle.
It is the first time such talks will be held since 2019 under the Normandy format. It is also the first time since Moscow's latest military build-up began on Ukraine's border.
Journalists report that the meeting will focus on humanitarian efforts and the possibility of formal talks on the status of the Donbas region. Russia-backed separatists control the territory, though Moscow denies any connection to the proxy forces.
It is worth recalling that Kyiv rejects any initiatives regarding negotiations with the leaders of ORDLO militants. Ukraine sees only Russia at the negotiating table as a conflict party, and Moscow absolutely denies its involvement in hostilities.
Andriy Yermak, spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tweeted that he had arrived in Paris for the talks, saying that the meeting was a "strong signal of readiness for a peaceful settlement."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the French Senate that "we are taking all the necessary initiatives to trigger a de-escalation process" as talks were underway in Paris.
Earlier we reported that the Government of Ukraine decided to withdraw the draft law "On the Fundamentals of State Policy of Transition", which provided for rules for the reintegration of the occupied territories. The formal reason was the implementation of the recommendations of the Venice Commission, but the true reason may be different.