At shortest-possible notice, the leaders of Ukraine and Russia, France and Germany meet in Berlin this Wednesday (October 19) to discuss the war in Eastern Ukraine. This gathering in the so-called Normandy format, at summit level and announced only a day ago, suggests great urgency.
However, there has been neither a major escalation in the protracted standoff between Moscow-sponsored separatists and the government in Kyiv, nor have there been signs of a serious breakthrough for the better.
