Normandy Four meets in Berlin: Ukraine benefits as advisors fail to agree

uacrisis.org ^ | February 11, 2022

[elpadre]

What’s on Ukraine’s agenda at Berlin talks. Ukraine hoped to reinstate the work of the Trilateral Contact Group. Its suggestions included improving verification of the ceasefire in Donbas, reopening of control points on the contact line, and swapping prisoners.

Ahead of the Berlin meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said he hopes that a summit of the Normandy Four leaders would follow the talks. Talks end with no final statement. The advisors to the leaders of the Normandy Four held nine-hour talks that ended with no joint statement, the Ukrainian President’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said at a news conference. “We have not adopted a joint statement today.

The talks lasted for almost nine hours. We would like to have a final joint declaration at the next meeting of the Normandy Four, but that’s what we have today,” Yermak is quoted as saying. He did not give details of the next meeting.

The sides recognized the importance of the ceasefire in Donbas, the Head of the President’s Office said. Ukraine consistently emphasizes political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, Yermak said. “Ukraine will continue to seek opportunities for talks to advance the peace process,” he added.

Yermak urges security guarantees for Ukraine. Yermak urged security guarantees for Ukraine. “We urge all efforts before, not after a possible escalation. Ukraine needs security guarantees today. European security is threatened by a war in the center of Europe. Ukraine needs real and efficient security guarantees. That’s in the interest of all our European partners,” Yermak said. Nord Stream 2 is part of energy security, Yermak says.

[elpadre]

and more:

“..The nine-hour talks ended with no result due to Ukraine’s lack of will to compromise, said Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the administration of the Russian President. “Almost nine-hour talks ended with no tangible result, no agreement. (…) We did not bridge the differences. With Germany and France, we have a common understanding of progress in the political section, but Ukraine’s position is adamant.”

Seems some countries are interested in finding a peaceful solution - some aren’t. I wonder which side the US is on, and if the Biden crowd has any influence on the Ukrainian positions in these talks??? - just wondering....

[Empire_of_Liberty]

I suppose that Ukraine is just lucky to know which side the tanks are coming from.