The Minsk process is shifting to China
Kyiv proposed holding a meeting of the “Normandy Group” on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, and Russia supports its initiative, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, Moskovsky Komsomolets reports.
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To the question of what can be expected from this meeting, the publication asked the head of the Ukrainian branch of the Institute of CIS Countries, Denis Denisov, to answer.
“The situation on the line of contact has changed significantly, and at the moment the “Norman group” is one of the few mechanisms that can affect the intensity of hostilities in Donbass,” the expert believes. “Therefore, the key topic of the meeting in China will be the demilitarization of the region. Since Poroshenko is unable to influence the Verkhovna Rada and the government, which are in the hands of the “war party,” Moscow will convince Paris and Berlin to convey to the rest of Ukrainian politicians the idea that the continuation of hostilities is inadmissible. It is unlikely that we will hear any new statements about an armed OSCE mission or the deployment of peacekeepers to Donbass. Previously, no one except Kyiv supported these proposals. But it is possible to conclude a framework agreement on the withdrawal of weapons and the cessation of hostilities.”
“Now the ruling elite of Ukraine is only concerned about waiting for the US presidential elections, and then whatever happens,” Denisov added. – Until then, they are not going to make any decisions on Donbass, so there is no point in hoping for progress on other points of the Minsk agreements. For example, in August it will be one year since the beginning of constitutional reform in Ukraine, but in fact it has not budged.”
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