On Tuesday, April 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the possibility of involving other states in peace talks, as this may speed up the end of the war in the Donbas, press service of the Office of President states reports.
"It could be an extension of the Normandy format, a separate, parallel format with other countries, with very serious, powerful players. Not only because they are powerful, but also because they want to help Ukraine end the war. I think this is the right decision," the Head of State said during a working trip to the Kherson region.
At the same time, the President recalled that the recent concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine's eastern border was not the first year that Russia has resorted to pressure. But Ukraine is calm about it. “We must always be ready," he added.
According to Zelensky, the joint efforts of Ukraine, European countries and the United States towards Russia have created opportunities for deescalation.
"We cannot guarantee 100% that Russian troops will not return. Still, we commend the decision to withdraw troops from the borders of Ukraine. This indicates the intention not to continue the escalation," the President said.
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, modernization and renewal of the Minsk negotiation process are necessary.
"I believe that Minsk should be flexible. Nobody says that Minsk should be shut down. But I think that several points need to be updated," he said.
The President noted that negotiations are currently underway within the Minsk format, in particular in the working groups of the Trilateral Contact Group, and a joint result may be achieved soon.
"Tomorrow there will be a full-fledged meeting of the TCG in a video format. I still think that all parties will come closer to the decision to declare a ceasefire again and reset this regime seriously - not only verbally, but also in writing," Volodymyr Zelensky said.