Yermak: Russia must be reminded it is a party to talks

"[Work] is blocked not because the Trilateral Contact Group does not hold meetings. Video conferences are held every two weeks, and Ukraine is ready to work 24 hours a day. But every time they try to make us start a dialogue with the involvement of separatists, who are invited but are not a party to the TCG," Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak said during an online discussion "Conflict in Eastern Ukraine: Outlook for 2021", organized by the German Council on Foreign Relations on March 9, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

As noted, Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE are represented in this group, and Russia is also a member of the Normandy format.

Yermak reiterated that official Kyiv was not going to hold any talks with the separatists and the Ukrainian delegation strongly opposed to making those people a party to the talks.

"Russia must be a party, all partners must remind it of this," he said.

In this context, Yermak recalled the recent visit of European Council President Charles Michel to the contact line in Donbas, when the European politician said "a phrase that will go down in history": "Russia is a party to the conflict, Russia is not a mediator or moderator." This, Yermak stressed, is a very important signal.

At the same time, he noted that Ukraine, trying to act constructively, suggested that people temporarily displaced from certain territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions should attend the TCG meetings as well. However, their work in the group is constantly blocked.

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