Zelensky has announced a new meeting in Normandy format after the pandemic coronavirus
The Office Of The President Of Ukraine
In addition, the President noted that Ukraine is ready to negotiations with Russia in the Donbass in other formats
The Office Of The President Of Ukraine
The President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky during a press conference on the occasion of the anniversary of the tenure of the President said that at the end of the pandemic coronavirus Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France will hold a meeting of leaders in the Norman format.
“And Germany, with France, with all we said and all agreed, that immediately after the recession СOVID-19 we must have a meeting in Normandy format”, – said the President Zelensky at a press conference at the Mariinsky Palace in Kiev. His words leads “Kommersant”.
In addition, the President noted that Ukraine is ready to negotiations with Russia in the Donbass in other formats. “I will say it again: the Minsk format is the priority, but nobody cancels any other formats. I’m ready to any other format that will bring us closer to the end of the war and the return of our territories. I don’t care. We need results,” said Zelensky.
The President also announced that negotiations are underway with Russia for the exchange of prisoners, and expressed a desire to return political prisoners, who are in Russia or in the prisons of the Crimea. Negotiations about the exchange of prisoners, which was to be held before the next summit of the Normandy Quartet, conducted in February this year, the Kremlin said that Moscow is interested in the exchange in the format of “all for all”. However, the pandemic coronavirus and related constraints have interrupted the process.
In addition, Zelensky has declared its intention to solve the Crimean question. “We are not releasing free-swimming the return of our people and the return of our territory and illegally annexed Crimea,” said Zelensky. He added that direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to conduct parallel work on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, said the Agency UNIAN.
Zelensky said that the end will fight for the Minsk agreement, and intends to “put the squeeze” them in a few months. At the same time, he mentioned about some plans “b” and “C” on the Donbass, which will be enacted if the original plan doesn’t work. What they are is, Zelensky did not elaborate, but said that “I would not like to use them”.
Touched the President and the situation with coronavirus, saying that Ukraine has offered humanitarian aid to the unrecognized “folk” Donetsk and Lugansk republics, but local authorities rejected it. “They don’t take under the guise that they have now Covid-19, they have everything. Nothing. No infectious disease hospitals, not enough beds, no protection,” said Zelensky, who led the TV channel “112 Ukraine”.
Zelensky said that he was able to negotiate only on the pass of humanitarian aid through the Red cross.
At the end of last year it became known that Ukraine has developed five scenarios reintegration of Donbass. Then Zelensky proposed the concept of “transitional justice”, which will apply to the Crimea and the Donbass. As the proposed tasks, the authors of the concept called the punishment of perpetrators of crimes committed during the armed conflict, reparation for the victims, “restore the truth”, that is, the investigation of the most resonant crimes, and preventing similar conflicts in the future.
Ukraine, according to a prepared document, also expects to sue Russia in the international criminal court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of human rights committed on both sides of the demarcation line.
In addition, Kyiv wants from Moscow to demand financial compensation for the occupation of Donbass. Russia, according to the idea of Ukraine as a “country-aggressor” should be through the international courts to transfer the money into a specially created Fund. The Fund will continue to distribute compensation to residents of Donbass. The Fund will also be replenished at the expense of the state budget, charities and international aid. To decide to whom and in what amount to repair the damage from the conflict in the Donbass, will be a special body established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. It will keep a register of material damage, which will include relatives of the dead and missing, wounded, prisoners and hostages. They plan to recover economic and financial losses due to the “Russian occupation”.
The document envisages to develop laws on lustration of heads of Donetsk and Lugansk national republics, as well as MPs, judges, law enforcers, civil servants involved in human rights violations. Persons who have not passed the lustration will not be able to hold senior government positions and to lead state-owned enterprises during the period of time to be determined by a special law. It follows from the text that, theoretically, the responsibility can be held, and the Ukrainian security forces and officials, but the investigation will deal with the bodies established by the Ukrainian authorities without the participation of the republics of Donbass, which Kiev does not recognize.
It is also envisaged the establishment of a special independent body, which, in the opinion of the Ukrainian authorities, will have to “restore the truth” about the events that took place during the armed conflict in the Donbass. A model for this will serve as the Commission of truth and reconciliation, which operated in South Africa after the dismantling of the apartheid regime, and similar commissions in Latin America and Europe. This body should consist of Ukrainian and foreign experts who are expected to investigate “the most high-profile crimes committed during the conflict in the Donbas.” The Ukrainian authorities stated that the Commission would not depend on them.