Ukrainian Foreign Minister summons German and French ambassadors over Merkel’s and Macron’s proposal for direct talks with Putin
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, summoned the German Ambassador Anka Feldhusen and France’s ambassador Etienne de Ponsen to hear an explanation regarding the proposal of the French and German leaders to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to him, the fact that other leaders of the European Union refused the idea to hold a summit with Putin is "very good. It is a victory." Also, the document adopted by the EU member states says that Russia should fully take responsibility for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
"That's why this attack, to be honest, an unpleasant and unexpected attack against everyone was rebuffed. We will now examine in detail what is behind this initiative, why now, and how Berlin and Paris are going to act," Kuleba said in a video on his Facebook page.
He noted that if the initiative of Germany and France had been supported, the system of pressure on Russia would have been weakened for the first time since 2014.
Kuleba stressed that he does not like such discussions with partners. But he is convinced that in case of gross violation of Ukraine's national interests, it is necessary to be frank and tough.
"Today we will talk with the ambassadors of Germany and France, we want to better understand what goals are pursued by Berlin and Paris and how it relates to the sanctions policy against Russia and their role as mediators in the "Normandy format", the Ukrainian Foreign Minister added.
During her last speech in the Bundestag, Merkel said it was necessary to resume direct contacts with President Vladimir Putin, suspended after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The initiative, according to the Financial Times, was supported by Macron. In addition, consultations are underway with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who, along with the French President, has been visiting Berlin for talks in recent days.