Not a defeat, but not a victory. The results of negotiations in Paris

At the first, for the sixth president of Ukraine, the Norman Summit for the Donbass reached an agreement on the ceasefire, the exchange of prisoners and the expansion of the OSCE mission.

The negotiations of the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia resumed after more than three years in the Norman format were another attempt to bring the establishment of peace in the Donbass. At a press conference after negotiations in the Champs Elysees with Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Zelensky said that so far it was not possible to achieve as much as we would like. Within the framework of the summit, the first more than the hourly meeting of the tete-a-a-test of the Ukrainian president with the Russian one took place. Zelensky assures that in the negotiations in Paris he did not cross any of the "red lines". The opposition factions of the Verkhovna Rada "European Solidarity", "Fatherland" and "Voice" on the eve of the summit called on the President of Ukraine to prevent "no compromises that could lead to federal federalization, the rejection of the European and Euro -Talantic course, no political actions, in particular, the elections in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donbass, before the implementation of safety conditions and the detachment: the withdrawal of Russian troops, the disarmament of illegal armed groups, the establishment of control over the state border. "

Promotion at the Office of the President of Ukraine in Kyiv

On the eve of the meeting of the "Norman Four" in Kyiv, Lviv and other cities, rallies under the slogan "There were no surrender!" And starting on December 8, several hundred activists defeated the tent camp at the Office of the President of Ukraine with a demand for Zelensky not to give national interests in Paris. After the announcement of the “Norman summit”, the demonstrators announced the folding of their action, since the president did not cross the Red Lines.

Putin against the control of the border before the elections in the Ordlo

In the Paris negotiations, an agreement was reached that by the end of the year there would be an exchange of held persons according to the formula “all for all” and a complete ceasefire, as well as the breeding of troops on the contact line in the Donbass. During the past several months, breeding took place in three places: the village of Lugansk, Petrovskoye and Golden. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, who accompanied Zelensky, reported to reporters in the Champs Elysees that there was no "zeal", that is, betrayal, the Ukrainian president. “They did not agree on the border. Russia was offered throughout the line throughout the line, Ukraine did not agree, since it was unprofitable for us. We agreed to be allocated at three points, where exactly - we will still decide,” said Arsen Avakov. The question of Ukraine’s control of more than four hundred -kilometer section of the eastern border with Russia is one of the key in resolving the conflict. Putin insists on the strict implementation of the Minsk agreements on the Donbass, according to which local elections should be held there and only after that transfer control over the border of the Ukrainian side. Zelensky insists that first Ukraine should gain control over the border, and only after that can I hold elections. The position of Kyiv was supported in Paris by Angel Merkel. The German Chancellor believes that the Minsk agreements are not a "stone document" and can be changed. The parties have not yet agreed on who, how and when will organize a vote in the Ordlo.

Ukrainian military

The Russian president, as well as at the Norman meeting in the fall of 2016, again called the Ukrainian authorities to a direct dialogue with the leaders of the separatists. For the Kremlin, according to Kyiv, the legitimation of the separatists is important to show that in the territory of the Donbass an internal conflict, which Russia is not involved. At the same time, it is important for Moscow that the current leadership of the Ordlo will subsequently represent power in these territories. Reacting to Putin’s words about a direct dialogue, Zelensky noted that in Ukraine there are more than a million forced immigrants from the Ordlo, he speaks with them every day and considers it necessary to participate in their representatives in negotiations of the trilateral contact group in Minsk.

Another decision of the summit reported at an Angel Merkel press conference. According to her, the mandate of the OSCE special monitoring mission in the Donbass will be expanded, and soon she will be able to observe the processes that are taking place there not 12, but all 24 hours a day. Four months later, the Norman Four will gather to discuss new steps aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Angel Merkel and Emmanuel Macron

According to the results of the negotiations, the parties noted the need to include the “Steinmeier formula” ( the mechanism of the phased implementation of a number of the provisions of the Second Minsk Agreement regarding the provision of special regions of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine in these territories of local elections. - Approx. Ed. ) In the legislation of Ukraine, agreed to extend the validity of the law on the characteristics of local self -government in these territories. some areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. This law is briefly called - about the special status of Donbass. It was adopted back in 2015 for three years and has already extended twice. Now the deadline for its end is December 31, 2019. Zelensky is ready to submit to the parliament a proposal to extend the action of this document for another year. After that, changes may be made to the law, which, in particular, suggesting the implementation of the Steinmeier formula. Putin in Paris repeated the requirement to amend the Constitution of Ukraine on a special status for Donbass. However, on the eve of the “Norman” summit, the Assistant Zelensky on international issues, Andrei Ermak, stated at a meeting in London organized by Chatham House and the “Ukrainian prism” that Kyiv is ready to fulfill the Minsk agreements, which provides for constitutional reform, which is based on decentralization. “We are only talking about decentralization, as a result of which individual areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions can receive additional powers. But this will not mean federalization or autonomy,” Ermak emphasized. According to the Minsk agreements, the Verkhovna Rada should also be adopted by the amnesty law. Zelensky promises an open discussion on this issue first in Ukrainian society, and then in parliament.

The transit contract through Ukraine of Russian gas may soon be signed

Vladimir Zelensky came to Paris with the largest delegation - thirteen people. It included both the Minister of Energy Alexei Orzhel and the executive director of Naftogaz Yuri Vitrenko. Putin arrived in negotiations with the head of Gazprom Alexei Miller and Minister of Energy Alexander Novak. The Russian media hastened to report that the presidents of Ukraine and Russia agreed to conclude a new contract to transport Russian gas through Ukrainian territory to the European Union. However, this information was refuted by Yuri Vitrenko. According to him, both trilateral, with the participation of the EU and two -way gas negotiations will continue in the near future. The validity of a ten -year transit contract, as you know, expires on December 31, 2019. The stop of pumping Russian gas can lead not only to the loss of the state treasury of three billion dollars a year, but will also require Ukraine to search for new routes of imported fuel supply. According to experts, the Russian gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine "Northern Stream - 2" can earn no earlier than 2021. And only if American sanctions do not begin to operate, including against the participants in this Russian project. Therefore, while Gazprom will not be able to do without pumping fuel along the Ukrainian route.

Vladimir Zelensky in Paris

The Kremlin offers to conclude a transit contract and resume direct gas supply to Ukraine at a preferential price in exchange for Ukraine’s refusal from all judicial verdicts, including Stockholm arbitration, by the decision of which Gazprom should pay Ukraine about three billion dollars. Surrounded by Zelensky, they say that the Russian authorities do not mind paying off the debt of gas and conclude a transit contract, however, not ten, as Kyiv would like, but for a shorter period. The Ukrainian president himself told reporters that the issue of gas was unlocked, it remains to coordinate the details of the transit agreement, including the term, volume and price. At the same time, Vladimir Zelensky considers it possible to sign a new contract until the end of this year.