Normandy group convenes to try and revive Minsk II peace process in Ukraine
A meeting of the so-called “Normandy Group”, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine is to go ahead in Berlin at the invitation of Angela Merkel on Wednesday.
The group is attempting to revive the Minsk II agreement of February 2015 that should have led to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and laid the path towards a political settlement ending the near-three-year war. Total deaths in the conflict near the 10,000 mark.
The office of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the meeting was “in order to put pressure on Russia to fulfill the security package of Minsk agreements”.
Red lines Ukraine can’t cross in the Minsk process https://t.co/44kABOvuuqpic.twitter.com/h9dLx7vOBE
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 12, 2016
Since Minsk II there have been daily casualties on both sides of the front line, violations of rules banning close deployment of heavy weapons, and obstructions of international ceasefire monitors.