Immortal: Kurt Volker – the first who said it was the war launched by the Russian Federation, it is carried out, and without her this war would not be

Photo: Sergey Krylatov / Gordonua.com

The dialogue between the special representative of the US State Department in Ukraine with Kurt Volker and adviser to the Russian President Vladislav Surkov saved the talks in the Normandy format, said the former Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, a former member of the trilateral contact group in Minsk Roman Bezsmertny in an interview with “Apostrophe”.

He stressed that the influence of Ukraine in the conflict settlement process and the development of appropriate proposals is growing.

“Although the factor Volcker, on the one hand, tells a different story, but he was the first who in the process of settlement is fully committed to the Foundation of the Ukrainian position. Before it was that – you remember – whether war, or civil conflict, whether there is Russia, or not. Kurt Volker is the first to say that this is a war launched by the Russian Federation, it is carried out, and without her this war was not to be,” said the immortal.

Former Deputy Prime Minister added that the lack of formalization of the status and mechanism of interaction between the Walker and the Ukrainian side in the course of its participation in the settlement negotiations.

“In addition, since the channel format. The reason is clear – the elections in France, elections in Germany, and then and political crisis in Germany, which is still ongoing. The channel format and the process was saved by the dialogue between Walker and Surkov,” he said.

The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine began in April 2014. Fighting underway between the Armed forces of Ukraine and Pro-Russian rebels who control part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Negotiations on the settlement of the conflict underway in the trilateral contact group, as well as in the Normandy format with participation of representatives of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia.

The heads of state of the Normandy format last met on 19 October 2016 in Berlin. The parties agreed to adopt the basis of a road map for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

In July 2017, the Secretary of state has appointed Kurt Volker, the U.S. special representative to Ukraine. He talks with Surkov on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine. In the administration of Barack Obama in the Affairs of Ukraine engaged the then assistant Secretary of state Victoria Nuland.

Walker and Surkov have already held four rounds of negotiations: August 21, 2017 in Minsk, 7 October and 13 November, in Belgrade, January 26 in Dubai. They discuss ways of implementing the Minsk agreements and possible introduction of peacekeeping mission in the Donbass. At the last meeting, in the words of the Minister of foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin, there has been no result.