02:50Political directors of the Normandy Four countries (Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France) met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the development of the situation in Eastern Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin stressed the concerns of Moscow over what is seen as the current deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Donbass, noting that no formula for a settlement and no pressure could bring success without "active dialogue between Kiev and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk on the basis of equality of the sides."
Grigori Karasin, who represents Russia at the meetings of the Normandy Four on the level of political directors, confirmed that the parties to the talks had discussed the topic of the possible deployment of UN peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine. He noted that the conversation had been "tough." However he stated that the parties need to continue thinking over the topic and to get in touch with each other in the September-October period.
According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow once again put on the table proposals, made in its draft resolution, suggesting the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine to help protect the monitoring mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) along the line of contact. Other parties - including the United States, representatives of France and Germany - continued to pursue the idea of a deployment on the border between the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's Republics and Russia, Karasin said. He stressed that in the view of Russia this was not acceptable since it could possibly lead to "new bloodshed, casualties and bigger troubles."
Germany: 'Normandy Four' diplomats discuss UN peacekeepers for Donbass
Political directors of the Normandy Four countries (Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France) met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the development of the situation in Eastern Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin stressed the concerns of Moscow over what is seen as the current deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Donbass, noting that no formula for a settlement and no pressure could bring success without "active dialogue between Kiev and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk on the basis of equality of the sides."
Grigori Karasin, who represents Russia at the meetings of the Normandy Four on the level of political directors, confirmed that the parties to the talks had discussed the topic of the possible deployment of UN peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine. He noted that the conversation had been "tough." However he stated that the parties need to continue thinking over the topic and to get in touch with each other in the September-October period.
According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow once again put on the table proposals, made in its draft resolution, suggesting the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine to help protect the monitoring mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) along the line of contact. Other parties - including the United States, representatives of France and Germany - continued to pursue the idea of a deployment on the border between the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's Republics and Russia, Karasin said. He stressed that in the view of Russia this was not acceptable since it could possibly lead to "new bloodshed, casualties and bigger troubles."
Political directors of the Normandy Four countries (Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France) met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the development of the situation in Eastern Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin stressed the concerns of Moscow over what is seen as the current deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Donbass, noting that no formula for a settlement and no pressure could bring success without "active dialogue between Kiev and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk on the basis of equality of the sides."
Grigori Karasin, who represents Russia at the meetings of the Normandy Four on the level of political directors, confirmed that the parties to the talks had discussed the topic of the possible deployment of UN peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine. He noted that the conversation had been "tough." However he stated that the parties need to continue thinking over the topic and to get in touch with each other in the September-October period.
According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow once again put on the table proposals, made in its draft resolution, suggesting the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine to help protect the monitoring mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) along the line of contact. Other parties - including the United States, representatives of France and Germany - continued to pursue the idea of a deployment on the border between the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's Republics and Russia, Karasin said. He stressed that in the view of Russia this was not acceptable since it could possibly lead to "new bloodshed, casualties and bigger troubles."