Maas, Blinken discuss situation in eastern Ukraine

Maas said this at a joint press conference following the talks in Berlin on June 23, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We discussed the Ukrainian issue ... It is clear that no one can be satisfied with the status quo, the Minsk agreements must be fulfilled… We also need a new dynamic in the Normandy format," Maas said.

He noted that negotiations in a quadrilateral format for the sake of ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine will keep going. Currently, work is underway to create conditions for meetings of foreign ministers of the countries participating in the Normandy format.

"It would be very nice to have U.S. support for this," Maas said.

The visit of the secretary of state to Berlin is his first bilateral visit to Europe. One of the goals is to participate in the Berlin II Conference on peace and stability in Libya. Blinken will also meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reaffirm U.S. commitment to deepening U.S.-Germany and Transatlantic relationships.

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