Kuleba, Baerbock, Le Drian to assess prospects for Normandy format foreign ministers' talks

At a forthcoming meeting in Kyiv, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, France, and Germany plan to assess the prospects of restoring the Normandy format at the level of foreign ministers.

"Another visit will take place soon. Our French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian will arrive in Ukraine with Annalena Baerbock, and we will have a trilateral meeting. We will discuss in detail the prospects for a meeting of all four foreign ministers of the Normandy format," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

It is important for the Ukrainian side that "neither Berlin nor Paris makes any decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine and plays any games behind our back in relations with Russia," he noted.

"This is crucial now ... When the three of us meet, we will assess the prospects of restoring the Normandy format at the level of foreign ministers," Kuleba said.

Commenting on reports of preparations for a meeting of political advisers to the Normandy format leaders in the coming weeks, Kuleba said that they had resumed work this year. In this context, he recalled that advisers to the leaders of France and Germany had recently visited Moscow and Kyiv.

“That is, certain processes are already taking place. There will be certain contacts but it is too early to talk about specific dates," Kuleba added.

According to Russian media, political advisers to the Normandy format leaders may meet again in late January – early February. The venue of the meeting has not been approved yet.

ol