Marathon negotiations in Minsk between the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine have managed to produce a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and the rebels in the east of the country, raising hopes for an end to the violence.
13 February 2015
New EU sanctions against 19 individuals, including five Russian citizens, will be implemented on February 16. German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed reports at an informal EU summit in Brussels.
“If there are difficulties, I don’t exclude additional sanctions,” Merkel added.
EC president Donald Tusk said the EU is ready to put further pressure on Russia if the new Minsk peace agreement is not adhered to.
“The debate focused on how to support the implementation of the agreement -- if it does not happen we will not hesitate to take the necessary steps,” Tusk told reporters after the European Union summit. “Our trust in the goodwill of President Putin is limited, this is why we have to maintain our decision on sanctions.”
The Normandy Four will review how the Minsk agreement is being implemented in the coming days and may plan another summit, French President Francois Hollande said.
“We thought that if the ceasefire is adhered to … then we will need to have at least a telephone conference between the four parties involved in the talks, in order to make sure that everything that was intended is being done,” Hollande said after the EU summit.
12 February 2015
At least three people were killed and several injured as the eastern city of Lugansk was shelled by multiple rocket launchers on Thursday evening, local media reported, citing the regional Emergencies Ministry. Local officials blamed Ukrainian troops for the shelling.
Kim Dotcom has tweeted in the wake of the Minsk deal: "I am proud of Angela Merkel. She shows us that diplomacy and empathy are stronger than the bullying of Americans."
Ich bin stolz auf Angela Merkel. Sie zeigt uns das Diplomatie und Empathie stärker sind als das Bullying der Amerikaner. #Minsk#Danke
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) February 12, 2015
The Minsk talks were “tough and very emotional,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov confirmed Angela Merkel’s comment that it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who “put pressure” on the rebels in eastern Ukraine to agree to the ceasefire. The Kremlin spokesman also denied President Poroshenko’s claim that an ultimatum was issued to Kiev, Dozhd TV channel reported.
#UNSG on #Ukraine: as agreed in #Minsk, all parties must ensure that a lasting cease-fire will commence on 15 of Feb http://t.co/mh8BP7YISg
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) February 12, 2015
The White House said it welcomed the Minsk agreement, calling it a "potentially significant step" in the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. Washington added, however, that it was concerned about the escalation of fighting Thursday in eastern Ukraine, saying it was “inconsistent with the spirit of the accord."
The withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the conflict zone in Donbass can take more than two or three days due to technical details, said the spokesman of the People’s Council of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Andrey Purgin, RIA Novosti reported. He explained that the process will include paperwork such as “drawing up of protocols” and “certain correspondence.”
Ukrainian experts have not observed any military activity on the part of Russian troops in the course of an inspection that was held in Russia's southern Rostov region, bordering Ukraine, from February 9-12, Russian Defense Ministry official Sergey Ryzhkov said.
The ministry had complied with the provisions of the 2011 Vienna Document and had ensured inspection on an area of about 15,000 square kilometers that had been selected by the Ukrainian side, he added.
"They [Ukrainian experts] pointed out precise observance of the Vienna document by the officials who had escorted them," Tass quoted Ryzhkov as saying.
Ryzhkov explained that such inspections are held “for the purpose of establishing the scale of military activities that are in progress and fall into the category of the activities, on which the signatories should issue notifications, or for confirming the absence of such activities.”
The negotiations in Minsk were a success that paves the wave for a diplomatic resolution of the Ukrainian crisis, said Ilkka Kanerva, the chair of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE.
“We certainly welcome the negotiations and the agreements that came from it, because they allow for diplomatic resolution through dialog rather than war,” he said at a meeting with Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin in Moscow.
He added that the international community must do a difficult job to implement the agreement.
President Petro Poroshenko said Russia would release Nadezhda Savchenko, a Ukrainian flight cadet who was arrested in Russia on charges related to the killing of two Russian journalists in Ukraine.
“I raised the issue of setting Nadezhda Savchenko free and was informed that it would be done soon after a medical examination and the publication of the results of the investigation,” he said. “I asked for an immediate release and the French President and German Chancellor supported me.”
Savchenko was elected into parliament in absentia and been appointed as Kiev’s envoy to PACE, which, Kiev believes, grants her immunity from prosecution in Russia. Moscow insists that the appointment is a ploy and that it won’t help her to escape justice.
The Ukrainian president claimed that Savchenko would be released under the new ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk on Thursday, which includes an exchange of all prisoners held by Kiev and the rebel forces.
Her lawyer Mark Feigin told Interfax that he didn’t believe Savchenko would be released.
“A source of mine familiar with the negotiations on Savchenko says she is not listed among the prisoners to be exchanged,” he said. “The investigation is almost over, and most likely a trial would follow with all procedures observed.”
The Minsk agreements give hope, but they are not enough, said European Council Chair Donald Tusk.
“I welcome the development. It gives hope, but hope is not enough,” he told journalists in Brussels ahead of an EU summit.
Tusk said the actual implementation of the ceasefire would be a real test for the deal.
#Ukraine: "Hope that #Minsk agreement can lead to #durable#ceasefire and swift withdrawal of heavy weapons from #Eastern#Ukraine. 1/2
— Johannes Hahn (@JHahnEU) February 12, 2015
#Ukraine:"#Citizens in affected regions must be at centre of our concerns.They have already suffered too much.Quick+ lasting peace = key"2/2
— Johannes Hahn (@JHahnEU) February 12, 2015
Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland has voiced his positive impressions of the progress made in Minsk. He said in a statement that a concrete basis for implementing the ceasefire has been set up. He also expressed hope for the constitutional reform that is to follow, and that it would respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The OSCE mission in Ukraine is ready to take on the responsibility of carrying out the objectives set forth in the Minsk talks, head of the Ukraine mission Aleksandr Hug said.
A spokesman for the Kiev forces said the fulfillment by Kiev of the conditions in the ceasefire agreement would depend on their fulfillment by the rebel forces.
Angela Merkel says there is still "very, very much work" ahead for peace in Ukraine, however "we now have a glimmer of hope" for progress.
Pressestatement von Kanzlerin #Merkel und Präs. Hollande zur Einigung von Minsk http://t.co/R7etgrNy0Cpic.twitter.com/Hmus9xMRpb
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) February 12, 2015
The German chancellor added that the Russian president has had to put pressure on the rebels to agree on the ceasefire.
All members of the contact group have left the talks venue, TASS reports.
The President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz has joined others in welcoming the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Minsk.
Welcome Hollande-Merkel brokered ceasefire agreement in #Minsk on #Ukraine. All sides must now abide by agreement, turn words into actions
— EP President (@EP_President) February 12, 2015
Minsk-2 is not exactly a breakthrough, but it should steer everyone away from the path of escalation in Donbass, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says.
#Steinmeier: Vereinbarung ist kein Durchbruch, aber könnte Schritt sein, der von milit. Eskalationsspirale zu polit. Momentum führt. #Minsk
— Auswärtiges Amt (@AuswaertigesAmt) February 12, 2015
The EU will not discuss further sanctions on Thursday, if Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are satisfied with the progress achieved during negotiations, the Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb has said.
Rebel leaders of regions in the East of Ukraine (DNR and LNR) have signed an agreement with Kiev, according to France's Hollande.
Ukrainian's Poroshenko says there is a commitment on all sides for the withdrawal of all foreign military from Ukraine's territory.
Ukrainian Rada has 30 days to decide on special status for #Donbas region - #Minsk agreement http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/nOcYFbjreE
— RT (@RT_com) February 12, 2015
The spokesman for the German government says "there is hope" after the Minsk agreement.
Breaking: Agreement in #Minsk. #MinskSummit
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) February 12, 2015
The German, French and Russian leaders have left the Independence Palace in Minsk where the Normandy Four talks were being held.
French President Hollande says "we came to a global agreement about the ceasefire and a global political settlement of the Ukraine crisis."
#BREAKING: A shot of the document that outlines Measures of Implementation of the Minsk Agreement pic.twitter.com/bOZEIuIfTi
— Yury Barmin (@yurybarmin) February 12, 2015
Vladimir Putin said it was “not the best night in my life, but we managed to secure an agreement on the thing that was most important,” including a ceasefire that is to start at midnight on February 15.
The president also said negotiations took longer because of “Kiev’s unwillingness to deal with” the self-proclaimed republics in east Ukraine. He says this must change in the future.
“I hope they reach an agreement, because obviously if these talks fail, new ones would not be held anytime soon. And it means the war would continue and civilians would continue being killed,” Aleksey Pushkov, chair of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee told Interfax.
So far no documents have been signed in Minsk, the OSCE’s Heidi Tagliavini told RIA Novosti.
Putin and Hollande have left the conference hall in Minsk, RIA Novosti reported.
A journalist covering the Minsk talks has been taken to hospital, RIA Novosti reported. The female journalist is working for the Western branch of Interfax.
#Minsk talks go on more than 15hrs, floor in palace heated http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7@Anna_Iva_RTpic.twitter.com/QeQkUmfX6J
— RT (@RT_com) February 12, 2015
Poroshenko has left the conference hall - then came back, TASS reports.
It is “one of the most dramatic moments” of the Minsk negotiations, Ukrainian diplomat Dmitry Kuleba described the current situation.
Every time one of the leaders walks out of the room, panic ensues. then it turns out they went to the loo #MinskSummit#minsktalks
— Irina Galushko (@IrinaGalushkoRT) February 12, 2015
Rebel forces demand that Kiev’s troops abandon their position in Debaltsevo, Reuters reports. Debaltsevo is a stronghold deep inside the rebel-held territory, which is currently semi-encircled by their opponents and has been the focus of intensive fighting for the past few weeks.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has cancelled a meeting with his British counterpart in London scheduled for Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.
Fabius and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian were due to meet their British counterparts for a mini-summit to discuss bilateral ties between the two allies.
Fabius said he would update British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on the Ukraine talks later in the day. (Reuters)
More #MinskSummit faces.Hours of talks behind .. & ahead. Tired but still not closer to agreement. #Putin#Poroshenkopic.twitter.com/XKN43EYeDr
— Maria Finoshina (@MFinoshina_RT) February 12, 2015
OSCE representative Heidi Tagliavini, who previously was engaged in negotiations with the "contact group", has joined the Normandy Four talks, RIA Novosti reported. The four leaders and Tagliavini are currently in the conference hall.
Merkel, Hollande reportedly spent time talking to Putin without Poroshenko present before going back to the main conference hall, TASS reported citing a source. Lavrov and other foreign ministers have joined them now.
Rebel representatives apparently refused to sign the draft ceasefire agreement, TASS reported.
Denis Pushilin of the DNR has said that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is being "misled" as to the sitaution in the Debaltsevo Pocket, which is far worse than he is being told.
Все очень тяжело... Осложняет все, что Порошенко продолжают вводить в заблуждение, докладывая что в Дебальцевском котле у него все хорошо...
— Пушилин Денис (@pushilindenis) February 12, 2015
The OSCE representative Heidi Tagliavini has left the meeting of the contact group, RIA Novosti reports.
The ‘Normandy Four’ negotiations in Minsk are continuing, Ukrainian FM Klimkin told Ria Novosi. Talks “in all other formats” are also underway he added.
There is “still hope” for success at the negotiation, AFP cited Poroshenko as saying.
Poroshenko reportedly announced “no good news” at the negotiation and accused Russia of proposing “unacceptable” terms.
#BREAKING: 'Unacceptable' Russian conditions at Minsk summit: Ukraine president
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) February 12, 2015
Apparently, it was a break, not an end to the talks. TASS says Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko are now back in the conference room.
Ceasefire in Ukraine is to start on February 14, reports Reuters citing a document seen by the agency. The deal would reportedly involve the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the creation of a security zone.
The agency stressed that the document may not be the final version of the agreement.
The negotiators have left the room where the Minsk talks took place, Interfax reports. Ukraine’s President Poroshenko left first, with Russia’s President Putin emerging minutes later. Then Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande came out together.
Ukrainian FM Klimkin on Twitter: “Sorry that you didn’t sleep and I kept silence. You know, sometimes working in silence is better.”
The ‘Normandy Four’ marathon talks in Minsk are over, RIA Novosti reported.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are planning a joint media conference after the negotiations in Minsk, the French TV channel TF-1 reported. The event will supposedly happen after the signing ceremony of a truce agreement.
The leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Aleksandr Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky, have arrived in Minsk to join the so-called ‘contact group’, a mediation body that also includes Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Earlier it was reported that a ceasefire agreement currently being negotiated by leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany would be sent to the contact group as soon as it’s signed.
#Donetsk & #Lugansk leaders arrive in #Minsk to join ‘contact group’ talks http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/1JgemInjlQ
— RT (@RT_com) February 12, 2015
There is hope for an agreement at the Minsk talks on the Ukraine crisis, a diplomatic source told Reuters on Thursday.
The source gave no further details. Leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany have been talking for more than 12 hours in the Belarussian capital to try to agree a way to end fighting in east Ukraine which has killed more than 5,000 people.
BREAKING: #Lavrov just left room in which #Minsk talks are taking place without making comment to press
— Ruptly Newsroom (@RuptlyNewsroom) February 12, 2015
The peace agreement is 80 percent ready, with wording for the rest of the document still under negotiation, a source told RIA Novosti. The draft has more than 10 points, it added.
A room in the Independence Palace is apparently being prepared for the signing of a document following the night of negotiations, according to footage recorded by the media. The name plaques of the leaders of the Normandy Quartet were reportedly installed on the oval table in the hall.
Siga EN VIVO las decisivas conversaciones en Minsk sobre el conflicto ucraniano http://t.co/EYWzDYRB1Xpic.twitter.com/W1aZH7ADcr
— RT en Español (@ActualidadRT) February 12, 2015
As the talks have entered their 12th hour, the media has been invited into a room in the Minsk Palace of Independence, where the resolution could soon be signed by the sides, Sputnik reports.
#MinskSummit scenery after nearly 11 hours of talks. Sitting. Waiting.... pic.twitter.com/1wL3asyUDg
— Helene Fouquet (@HeleneFouquet) February 12, 2015
After nine hours of negotiations, Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly seen leaving the conference room. He was followed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Interfax reports. After a brief break, the leaders returned to the negotiations room.
The Minsk talks are about to enter their tenth hour, with the delegations of Germany, France, Russia, and Ukraine still trying to reach a final compromise and come up with a joint resolution. Journalists have been covering the event for almost 12 hours now.
Прошло более 12 часов с тех пор как журналисты приехали во Дворец Независимости в Минске. 9 часов идут переговоры pic.twitter.com/5nCmqe9cAu
— Anna Ivanchenko (@Anna_Iva_RT) February 12, 2015
The talks of the ‘Normandy Four’ leaders are continuing. It may take another five or six hours before a final agreement is reached, believes the head of President Poroshenko’s administration.
“We’ve been working in teams for some seven hours. Now they are working in a four leaders format,” Valeriy Chaly said. “Too early [to share] details. I think we’ve got another five to six hours of work.”
#Minsk talks could last for another 5 or 6 hours – Poroshenko admin dep. head LIVE UPDATES http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/D7UAQn4rai
— RT (@RT_com) February 12, 2015
Source in french delegation confirms that talks continue #Putin#Merkel#Hollande#Poroshenko#Minsk
— Anna Ivanchenko (@Anna_Iva_RT) February 12, 2015
While the Normandy Four try to reach a joint agreement on the resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute, raises speculation as to how the new accord will be implemented, highlighting the fact that the previous Minsk agreement failed to live up to its expectation because of US interference.
“When you have a gathering of leaders of their stature, there will be a piece of paper that will come out of this meeting. None of them will want to walk away empty handed...but what value might it be and how might it be heated by those currently fighting for their lives in eastern Ukraine,” McAdams told RT. “I think certainly the US could be an impediment,” he said.
The political analyst stressed that people in Ukraine are against the war in the east, with most conscripts refusing to serve in the military despite the mobilization enforced by the government. But Kiev, according to McAdams, is aggravating the situation on the ground so that Washington will become more involved in the crisis.
“I think there may be a will amongst some in Kiev to fight this war, but I don't think there is personnel to fight...the US is a big factor but there has been a big push for the last couple of weeks, and I think it has been artificially jammed up to accelerate US involvement in what is happening in Ukraine. But I don't think it has taken much of the Ukrainian opinion into consideration,” McAdams said.
#Minsk Movement! Media run to camera position in reception hall http://t.co/r2Jfkd2wvo#MinskSummitpic.twitter.com/Qn4VNpCVMb
— RT (@RT_com) February 12, 2015
11 February 2015
#MinskSummit participants have dinner break now.Then talks will resume - #RIA. #Putin#Poroshenko#Merkel#Hollandehttp://t.co/wjfjvD5GtO
— Maria Finoshina (@MFinoshina_RT) February 11, 2015
Proposals to expand the demilitarized zone are an attempt at compromise, but only negotiations will show if this is viable, DPR representative Denis Pushilin said. Speaking to Vesti 24 news channel, Pushilin said that moving heavy artillery further from the demarcation line is a “possible compromise outcome.”
The representative was referring to the proposal voiced by French President Francois Hollande earlier this month, which called for a buffer zone of 50-70 km between Kiev’s forces and local militias. The initial Minsk agreement in September included the creation of a 30 kilometer demilitarized zone – 15 kilometers from the line of contact in each direction.
The participants of the Minsk talks have taken a break for dinner, after which the work will continue, a source close to the negotiations told Sputnik. According to the source, the talks are difficult and can last a long time. "There is progress, but it is not a simple conversation. More time is needed,” the source said.
I think they may also need beds soon.Talks go on @ASLuhn: At least there's vodka&Soviet champagne 4 journos in #Minskpic.twitter.com/76WI80YJGj
— Maria Finoshina (@MFinoshina_RT) February 11, 2015
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde is planning to make a statement on further financial aid for Ukraine at 8 a.m. GMT on Thursday, Reuters reports.
The Normandy Quartet talks are continuing “in a narrow circle,” the Russian president's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said.
The peace talks in Minsk may well continue until early morning on Thursday, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, told RIA Novosti news agency.
The signing of an agreement “can happen tomorrow, not today,” Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said, Sputnik reports.
#BREAKING#Minsk talks progress better than super - #Lavrov. #Ukraine PHOTO @MID_RFhttp://t.co/3H6F7XyQIDpic.twitter.com/bqbIy1XNFI
— Maria Finoshina (@MFinoshina_RT) February 11, 2015
The negotiations of the 'Normandy Four' leaders are moving along “actively, better than super,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, as quoted by TASS news agency.
Vladimir Putin’s senior foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, described the talks as “quite intensive.”
The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine is expected to sign a document on settling the crisis, which it will then hand over to the 'Normandy Four' leaders for approval, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Aleksandr Surikov said.
“Right now the contact group is finalizing and handing over [the] signed and agreed document and then [leaders of the 'Normandy Four'] will either approve it or not. Right now, the 'Normandy summit' is discussing possible variants of the document,” Surikov said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
The leaders and their diplomatic teams, are discussing the "technical details" of the final document that could be signed at the end of the summit, an inside source in the German delegation has told RIA news agency.
The shelling of Donetsk by Ukrainian forces continues, despite the 'Normandy Four' talks being underway in the Belarusian capital.
One person was killed and seven others injured after a shell hit one of the hospitals in the eastern Ukrainian city.
"A shell fired by the Ukraine army about an hour ago has hit Hospital 20 in the Kiev district of Donetsk. One person died and seven people were injured," the Emergencies Ministry of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said.
Earlier, the militias said the territory they control was bombarded by Kiev on 19 occasions throughout the day.
RT’s Daniel Bushel is reporting from Minsk.
A document that is planned to be signed after the talks is being reviewed by both the “Normandy summit” members and by the contact group, Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey said.
“To achieve a positive result, the approval of all participants is required,” he said.
The four leaders are planning to sign a joint declaration on the implementation of the Minsk agreement, a source in the Belarusian capital has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“The signing of a joint declaration on the implementation of the Minsk agreements is planned,” the source said.
It is also expected that a tripartite contact group in Minsk will agree on implementation plan for the Minsk agreements. "It is expected that the leaders of the ‘Normandy format’ will support this plan," he added.
The Normandy 4 and the host, Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko - appeared for a brief photo call after two hours of negotiations. After posing for several shots without comment, the leaders went back to the negotiating table.
PHOTO: ‘Family’ shot of Normandy 4 in #Minskhttp://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/EcgpPPHgBp
— RT (@RT_com) February 11, 2015
President Poroshenko left the room where talks between the leaders have been taking place. He continued to the second floor of the palace, but was back in about 15 minutes.
All sides of the talks are “willing to reach positive results,” Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey has said.
“We have had an opportunity to speak to each of the sides and we see that each [of them] is willing to reach a positive result,” he said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
The Minsk talks have continued in an expanded format. Putin, Hollande, Merkel, and Poroshenko have been joined by their states’ foreign ministers, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
After the talks a joint document on Ukraine will be signed, Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Mykhailo Yezhel said, RIA Novosti reports.
The United Nations expects the Normandy Four negotiations in Minsk to result in a cessation of hostilities in the east of Ukraine, Stefan Dyuzharrik, a spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, has said.
"We look forward to positive results,” Dyuzharrik said. “We want to see a cessation of hostilities and to reach an agreement, which will be followed by all parties."
Negotiations have gotten underway in Independence Palace’s Dipservice Hall, TASS news agency reports. Apart from the ‘Normandy Four, ‘representatives of the self-declared republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego, former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov, and OSCE (the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) special representative Heidi Tagliavini will also take part in a separate closed-door contact group meeting.
The negotiations have reportedly gotten underway, according to Ria Novosti.
President Putin and President Poroshenko have shaken hands before the meeting.
The European Union has lost 20 billion euro as a result of the sanctions, Russia's permanent representative to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, has said. The US, meanwhile, has in fact managed to increase trade with Russia, he said.
"In general, the European Union has borne significant losses from their own sanctions,” he told the broadcaster Russia 24.
“The paradox is that turnover with the European Union turnover had declined slightly at the end of 2014, but with the United States, who are pushing a sanctions spiral, we have, on the contrary [seen trade] increase. US exports have overall increased, according to some data, by 20 percent,” Chizhov added.
FULL HOUSE!! Putin in Lukashenko-town. #Minsksummit poker begins pic.twitter.com/C4GUGVrcGA
— IvorCrotty (@IvorCrotty) February 11, 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin has just arrived at Independence Palace in Minsk, where he is being greeted by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
#MINSK: Putin arrives at Ukraine peace summit, all Normandy 4 assembled http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/PFYatkvnpm
— RT (@RT_com) February 11, 2015
Vladimir Putin has arrived in Minsk to take part in the Normandy format meeting
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) February 11, 2015
Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko are going to meet before talks with Putin, a delegation source has told AFP.
Poroshenko has said he is “crossing his fingers” that today’s meeting will be successful and enter the annuals of world diplomacy.
Ukrainian President V Poroshenko expects to reach a decision to de-escalate the situation in the Donbass as a result of the “Normady 4” peace summit in Minsk, Belarus.
"The whole world is waiting for the situation in Ukraine to go down a path of de-escalation, [for a] cease-fire and withdrawal of arms, or the situation will spiral out of control,” Interfax cites him as saying.
#Merkel and #Hollande just arrived together pic.twitter.com/XsdhtyALKN
— Anna Ivanchenko (@Anna_Iva_RT) February 11, 2015
Merkel, Hollande arrive in #Minsk for #Ukraine peace talks (LIVE UPDATES) http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/65p8hIOrxf
— RT (@RT_com) February 11, 2015
French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have just arrived at Independence Palace in Minsk, where they were greeted by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Putin has now landed in Minsk. Normandy format is complete
— Alan Crawford (@ACBerlin) February 11, 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Minsk, Ria Novosti reports.
Watch RT's special coverage from the Minsk peace summit and LIVE pictures of the leaders arriving.
LIVE coverage is also available on RT’s YouTube channel:
#Ukraine president Poroshenko and his #Belarus counterpart Lukashenko finally meet for bilateral talks in #Minskpic.twitter.com/L95PztZ3L1
— Andrey Ostroukh (@AndreyOstroukh) February 11, 2015
You can watch RT's special coverage of the Minsk peace summit on RT.com and here:
BREAKING: Poroshenko arrives in #Minsk for #Ukraine peace talks http://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/kpfV3sKraQ
— RT (@RT_com) February 11, 2015
President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine has just arrived and greeted his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has just entered the main lobby in the Palace of Independence in Minsk.
Talks in Minsk are scheduled to begin at 21:00 MSK (15:00 GMT), Ria Novosti reports.
5 mins left said security service. And asked journalists to switch off mobile phones
— Anna Ivanchenko (@Anna_Iva_RT) February 11, 2015
Poroshenko is expected to come first to the presidential palace in about 10-15 mins. Merkel & Hollande in 25 minutes #Minsk#Normandy#talks
— Anna Ivanchenko (@Anna_Iva_RT) February 11, 2015
There is wide recognition Ukraine's civil war is at a tipping point. Ben Aris joins Peter Lavelle to discuss divisions among NATO allies and ways a peaceful resolution can still be found today in Minsk.
Happening now: Chllr #Merkel and FM #Steinmeier arrived in #Minsk for #Ukraine talks. #Russia#France#MinskSummitpic.twitter.com/UHpQ4ZftqB
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) February 11, 2015
Merkel and Hollande are heading to the Palace of Independence from the airport in Minsk, where they will discuss the latest drive to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the civil war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has arrived in Minsk for the summit, Ria Novosti reports.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande have landed in Minsk, according to Russia's RIA news agency.
International media waiting for Putin, Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko arrivals to the presidential palace in Minsk pic.twitter.com/nbGNd9jmSo
— Anna Ivanchenko (@Anna_Iva_RT) February 11, 2015
A report from RT's Daniel Bushell earlier today on what's at stake from in Minsk.
How much autonomy the restive regions in Ukraine’s east will be given, the immediate withdrawal of artillery with a caliber greater than 10mm to the distance defined by the previous Minsk agreements, and the establishment of a demilitarized zone in the region, which Russia believes should be under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), are among the topics to be discussed at Minsk.
LEAKS: What we know will be discussed today in #Minskhttp://t.co/HvUWtkhSe7pic.twitter.com/Rj69goU7pZ
— RT (@RT_com) February 11, 2015
A meeting of the four foreign ministers is possible before the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine begin negotiations in Minsk, TASS reported.
The host of the Minsk summit, President Aleksandr Lukashenko, has discussed the event with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and is going to meet Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko later in the day ahead of the four-way presidential talks.
Flags ready for leaders' photo. Security says first guests expected to arrive at around 5pm #Minsk time pic.twitter.com/JvI9NXJgYp
— Andrey Ostroukh (@AndreyOstroukh) February 11, 2015
The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Russia, Laurent Fabius, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Sergey Lavrov respectively, will be accompanying their leaders to Minsk.
“The key position is ceasefire without any conditions,” Ukrainian President Poroshenko described his negotiating position on Wednesday at a cabinet session. He added that if no deal is reached, Ukraine will declare martial law, a move his government has previously rejected.
“The cabinet, the parliament and I are all prepared to declare martial law,” he warned.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he was certain that the talks would result in a political settlement of the conflict.
“The experts are working. There is considerable progress,” the minister said, declining to reveal any details of the draft agreement.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Francois Hollande of France, President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine are to meet in Minsk to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict.
The talks are widely viewed as a last attempt to settle the conflict, which threatens to escalate further unless a solution is negotiated.
#Obama calls #Putin before #Minsk talks to discuss #Ukraine – White House http://t.co/j0sTPf2gV8pic.twitter.com/5IJmt2JBKq
— RT (@RT_com) February 11, 2015
Kiev and its Western sponsors accuse Russia of supporting Ukrainian anti-government forces in the east of the country with arms and troops. Moscow denies the accusations and blames the US and its allies for the violence, saying the conflict would not have gotten this far if Kiev’s aggressive policies had not been encouraged.
The war in Ukraine has claimed at least 5,600 lives since April 2014, according to UN estimates. The actual death toll may be somewhat higher, however.