Kremlin Confirms Putin's Participation in Oct. 19 Normandy Summit in Berlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Berlin to take part in the so-called Normandy format meeting with the leaders of France, Ukraine and Germany.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin's participation in the so-called Normandy format meeting with the leaders of France, Ukraine and Germany in Berlin on October 19.

"The president will travel to Berlin tomorrow, where he will take part not in a one-day, but an evening working visit, where he will hold talks with [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, [French President Francois] Hollande, [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The Ukrainian presidential website announced earlier that the Normandy meeting would take place as scheduled earlier on October 19 in Berlin, notably omitting Russian President Vladimir Putin's attendance.

The German and French governments later confirmed the Normandy quartet meeting with Putin, Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko.

The sides to the Normandy Four format talks will not discuss the Syrian crisis at their upcoming meeting on the crisis in Ukraine, according to Peskov.

“No,” Peskov said, when asked whether the sides would discuss the Syrian issue.

“The president is open for discussion of the Syrian issue with everyone, he said so literally yesterday when speaking to journalists in India. But the aim of tomorrow’s meeting  is the meeting in Normandy format,” he added.