Envoys From Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany Meet for Ukraine Talks

Envoys from Normandy quartet, that includes Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, arrived in Berlin for meeting on Ukraine peace talks.

BERLIN, (Sputnik) — Envoys from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, comprising the so-called Normandy quartet, arrived at the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin to discuss the Ukraine conflict, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Monday.

The envoys, who declined to give any comments to the media upon arrival, are meeting ahead of a possible leaders' summit on Wednesday.

Russia is represented at the talks by Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold a meeting on February 11 in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

Ukrainian peace talks have been held in several formats. The Normandy format was established last summer, when Russian, French, German and Ukrainian leaders met in Normandy to discuss the Ukraine conflict.

Fighting between Kiev-led forces and local pro-independence militia has increased in southeastern Ukraine in recent weeks, despite a ceasefire agreement signed back in September.

According to the latest UN estimates, more than 200 civilians were killed in three weeks of fighting leading up to February 1, bringing the conflict’s death toll up to more than 5,300.