Russia Rejected the Idea of U.S. Participation in the Normandy Format

Russia rejected the idea of U.S. participation in negotiations to resolve the conflict between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow does not support the proposal to join the United States in the Normandy format of negotiations to resolve the conflict in the Donbas. The participants in this format are Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. Peskov, as a response to the remarks of the President of Belarus, admitted the possibility for the United States to use their influence on Ukraine. Earlier Alexander Lukashenko said that finding a solution to the Ukrainian conflict would be impossible without the participation of the United States. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the United States could convince Ukraine of the need for Kyiv to comply with its obligations under the Minsk agreements. These agreements were signed in 2015, but their full implementation has not yet been achieved. Radio Liberty