Chancellor Angela Merkel was "very satisfied" with the results of the Ukraine summit in Paris. "Today we have overcome the period of deadlock," she said late Monday evening after the meeting with France's head of state Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Selenskyj. It had been agreed "realistic things".
Among other things, the summit participants agreed on a full implementation of the ceasefire by the end of the year and another withdrawal of forces from the front line. According to the summit declaration, there is also a prisoner exchange agreement "all against all" until the end of 2019. This involves an exchange of 250 prisoners from Kiev against 100 from Luhansk and Donetsk. However, there was no specific agreement, but only the letter of intent to implement the exchange with the help of the contact group in the region and the Red Cross.
"We have agreed on clear, clear steps and deadlines for their implementation," Selenskyj said about the results. Within 30 days, new crossings for the frontline population will also be established, based on humanitarian criteria. In addition to the ceasefire, a plan for demining is to be implemented. In addition, there should be a demilitarization on three other points.
Macron said, "I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the political courage and determination of the President of Ukraine since his election to bring peace to the conflict in the east of his country."
Putin: "Yes, I am satisfied"
It was the first time that Putin and Selenskyj met in person. So far, they had only phoned each other. "Yes, I'm satisfied," Putin said later that evening about his first direct conversation with Selenskyj. It took an hour and 20 minutes - much longer than planned. Following the bilateral meeting, discussions continued at a joint dinner with Merkel and Macron.
The Ukraine summit in the Paris Elysées Palace had begun on Monday afternoon. The federal government hoped to boost the peace process in eastern Ukraine, where government forces are fighting pro-Russian separatists. The French Presidency built on concrete progress towards the implementation of the Minsk peace agreements.
The eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk face Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists. Approximately 13,000 people have come to Uno estimate previously killed. People in the affected regions of Luhansk and Donetsk long for an end to the war.
The Paris summit is also referred to as the "Normandy meeting" because the first meeting of this kind took place in Normandy in June 2014 - this region is northwest of Paris. Host Macron is seeking a comprehensive dialogue with Moscow on security and stability in Europe. In order to make progress with Moscow, the conflict in the Ukraine must also be resolved. However, Macron's approach to Moscow is sometimes followed with suspicion in Central and Eastern European countries.