The Normandy Four expects daily reports from the OSCE on the progress of implementation of the Minsk agreements

The leaders of the Normandy Four countries discussed by telephone on Tuesday night the progress of implementation of the Minsk agreements on resolving the conflict in Donbass. Negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation, Germany, France and Ukraine will continue on Friday in Berlin. The intensification of the efforts of international mediators is dictated by the need to consolidate the first results of the peace process achieved after the truce declared on February 15. Despite the de-escalation that has begun, the OSCE has not yet officially confirmed the withdrawal of heavy weapons by the parties, and the ceasefire is constantly being violated.

Summit "in the Normandy format" to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, President of France Francois Hollande and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
Photo: Dmitry Azarov, Kommersant / buy photo

According to the press service of the German government, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin, Francois Hollande and Petro Poroshenko discussed the exchange of prisoners, the supply of humanitarian aid to Donbass, and also called for intensifying work on preparing local elections in Lugansk and Donetsk. The leaders of the four countries especially noted the need to increase the role of the OSCE, the main arbiter in the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine. According to the Normandy Four, the OSCE mission should prepare daily reports on the situation in the conflict zone. In addition, the negotiators supported the proposal to place OSCE observers in the most problematic areas of Donbass (this idea was put forward by Petro Poroshenko, and yesterday it was supported in the DPR and LPR). We are talking about the village of Luganskaya, Shchastya, Popasnoye, Avdeevka, Donetsk airport, Volnovakha, Shirokino, Gorlovka.

Commenting on telephone conversations between the four leaders, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin was operating with “specific data” about the withdrawal of weapons in the Donbass. “The Kremlin stands for the unconditional and speedy fulfillment of the obligations that the parties to the conflict have assumed,” Mr. Peskov recalled.

As a result of the telephone conference, it was decided to hold negotiations on Friday in Berlin between representatives of the Foreign Ministries of the four countries (Moscow will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin). Before the talks in Berlin, Chancellor Merkel will today discuss the situation in south-eastern Ukraine with the European Commission.

“It is necessary for the DPR and LPR to join the Normandy Four agreement”

The sharp intensification of the efforts of international mediators is dictated by the need to consolidate the first results of the peace process in Donbass. Despite the de-escalation that has begun, the truce remains fragile, with both sides blaming each other for violating it. As the representative of the Ukrainian security forces, Andrei Lysenko, reported yesterday, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the conflict zone within 24 hours. While the DPR and LPR militias have already reported the completion of the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the conflict zone, people in Kyiv are calling not to believe them. According to Andrei Lysenko, the militias “are constantly moving weapons and military equipment from the demarcation line towards the border with Russia, and then back.”

Petro Poroshenko also made a noteworthy statement yesterday. A few hours after negotiations with the leaders of the Russian Federation, Germany and France, he had another telephone conversation - with the Chairman of the European Council Donald Tusk. “The President emphasized that a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire on the part of the militants and their complete withdrawal of heavy weapons has not been achieved during OSCE monitoring. Petro Poroshenko called on the EU to refrain from premature optimism and continue the policy of influencing the parties to the Minsk agreements in order to fully implement their obligations,”— the press service of the Ukrainian president reported.

Why did Angela Merkel invite representatives of the Normandy Four to Berlin?

Adding to the uncertainty is the absence of a clear and unambiguous statement from the OSCE confirming the withdrawal of heavy weapons by Ukrainian security forces and militias of the DPR and LPR. “Although we are monitoring the withdrawal of heavy weapons, we are not yet able to confirm this. To do this, it is necessary to have basic data: where the weapons are based, what routes they will be taken, as well as the places where they will be concentrated and stored,” it says message from the OSCE special monitoring mission. In the DPR, such assessments are puzzling. “We provided the OSCE with complete information, invited them to the withdrawal of weapons, informed them about the start of the withdrawal and the routes. They also know where the withdrawn equipment is kept,” said Deputy Commander of the DPR Army Eduard Basurin.

Thus, it is premature to say that de-escalation in Donbass has passed the point of no return. This is what prompted the urgent efforts of the leaders of the Normandy Four, who understand the precariousness of the achieved balance.

Sergei Strokan

Peace in Donbass needs to be proven