Ukraine Ready for Normandy Format Talks, 'Waiting for Signal' From Russia, Foreign Minister Says

KIEV (Sputnik) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday he is ready for a Normandy-format meeting and expects that Russia will confirm its participation.

"Throughout this year, my German or French colleague has come to me several times and asked if I am ready for a meeting in the Normandy format at the level of foreign ministers. And each time I replied without hesitation, yes! But no meeting has since been held, because Minister Lavrov is trying to avoid it in every possible way," Kuleba told briefing.

The minister expressed the hope that Russia will agree to the meeting as soon as possible.

"We are waiting for a signal from Moscow. We have not received any yet," he added.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that a meeting between foreign ministers of the Normandy Four countries, namely Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, is a strong probability, and details of the leaders' summit will become clear thereafter.

The so-called Normandy format of negotiations on Ukraine has existed since June 2014. The most recent Normandy summit took place in Paris on 9 December 2019. The Kremlin has said that it would be good to hold a summit in the Normandy format, but the agenda must be carefully prepared. Russia believes the parties may not have a chance to gather for such a summit under outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel.