France looking to hold Ukraine summit soon

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - France intends to organize a Paris summit with Russia, Ukraine, and Germany soon following recent progress in Russian-Ukrainian relations, the country's top diplomat said on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference after meeting today in Moscow, Russian and French foreign and defense ministers said they discussed the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts, the Iran nuclear deal, and bilateral relations.

Commenting on last week’s exchange of detainees between Russia and Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said they should use this achievement to help settle the Ukrainian conflict.

"We would like to organize in the nearest days in Paris a new Normandy Four meeting at the highest level,” he said, referring to Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France.

“We have acknowledged significant progress in recent months. The release on Saturday of the detainees, including 24 sailors, is a concrete result that France is encouraging. It is necessary to take advantage of this climate for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements."

In turn, his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sees the exchange of prisoners as "a sign of a good will" from Kiev and expects the normalization of relations with Ukraine.

He also welcomed statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on withdrawing forces from Donbas, eastern Ukraine, the site of fierce separatist conflict.

"We have noted from the Russian side very, very positive statements by the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky that he is interested in resolving through the work of the Normandy format and the contact group the issue of the withdrawal of forces and means on the contact line, starting with the regions that were agreed three years ago by the leaders of the Normandy format, and then throughout the entire line of contact," said Lavrov.

The countries have been at loggerheads since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula after a controversial referendum.

Turkey, as well as the UN General Assembly, views the annexation as illegal.

Ukraine has also blamed Kremlin for separatist violence in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, near the border with Russia.