Ukrainian President Says Changing Normandy Four Format Unnecessary

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday that it is not necessary to change the Normandy Four format on settling the conflict in Donbas or create another platform for the talks.

KIEV (Sputnik) — The Normandy Four contact group on Ukraine crisis comprises Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine.

"We do not see any need to change the Normandy format and to have any parallel track to the Minsk process. We, indeed, discussed more active involvement of our US partners in the Normandy format. We are fully open and we welcome these steps, and we will absolutely welcome more active participation, including representative, in the format of the Minsk process, including in the Trilateral Contact Group," Poroshenko said as broadcast by the 112 Ukraina channel.

According to Poroshenko, the involvement of the United States can restart and bring rapid results in the negotiations on the conflict in Donbas.

During his working visit in the United States, the Ukrainian leader has held a number of meetings with the US leadership, including US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, discussing cooperation between Kiev and Washington.

In February 2015, the warring parties to the Ukrainian conflict in Donbas signed the Minsk peace accords in order to cease fire in the crisis-torn region. Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine, as the members of the Normandy Four, helped negotiate the Donbas ceasefire. The truce, however, has been repeatedly breached, with Kiev forces and Donbas militia accusing each other of violating it.