Advisors to the heads of state of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to uphold a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine after holding talks in Paris. The negotiations to defuse the crisis came as the US and NATO delivered written responses to Moscow’s raft of security demands for the region.
In a joint communiqué released after eight hours of talks in Paris, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany supported an "unconditional compliance with the ceasefire… regardless of differences on other issues related to the implementation of the Minsk agreements".
The Minsk agreement, signed in September 2014, was aimed at stopping the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but failed. However, the four countries that make up the so-called Normandy Format agreed that the accord formed the basis for any future resolution to the conflict.
Russia was represented in Paris by the Kremlin's deputy chief of staff, Dmitry Kozak, and Ukraine by presidential adviser Andriy Yermak, with advisers to President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also taking part in the talks that began Wednesday morning.
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