Zelensky on the Normandy Meeting: “We are Waiting for the Separation of Forces”

To organize a summit of leaders in the Normandy format, it is necessary to separate forces in Petrovske and Zolote. The Normandy meeting will take place only after the separation of forces in Donbas near Petrovske and Zolote, said President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview on Wednesday, October 23. “A lot of media talk about different conditions. We agreed that we should have a meeting when we agree on the text of the so-called Steinmeier formula and when the separation of troops would be in three areas. You know the separation has passed in one area, Stanytsia Luhanska. Now there are preparatory moments for separating of forces in Petrovske and Zolote regions, which does not take place due to violation of the silence regime, but I think that everything will happen and the next step will be a meeting in the Normandy format. I simply don’t know other information,” the president said. He believes that the Normandy Four meeting is necessary in order to prevent the conflict from freezing, as happened in Moldova with Transnistria. “Let our Moldovan colleagues not be offended, I gave such an example, but this issue cannot be resolved without diplomacy. Without a conversation. Without discussing any conditions. Without a ceasefire. This issue cannot be resolved without meetings... This issue is resolved when they speak ... When people talk at the highest level! When four leaders talk in the Normandy format,” Zelensky said. On the eve, spokesman for Russian president Dmitry Peskov said about the difficulties of organizing a meeting of the Normandy four leaders because of new approaches and requests of “one of the parties”. As you know, the Russian Federation insists on the separation of forces in Petrovske and Zolote until the Normandy four meeting. The separation is delayed due to non-observance of the necessary seven days of “silence”. Korrespondent