The intensification of shelling by militants in Donbas may be connected with the forthcoming telephone conversation between the presidents of the Normandy Four countries (Germany, France, Ukraine, Russia), Olha Aivazovska, Ukrainian representative in the political subgroup of the trilateral contact group for the settlement of the situation in Donbas, said.
“What is happening in recent days is an aggravation, which may be directly related to the talk of the leaders,” she said on Channel 5 on July 20 evening.
At the same time, Aivazovska expressed opinion that the statement by the separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko on the formation of Malorossiya may be Russia’s instruments in order to verify the alleged independence of this formation.
She also pointed to the internal contradictions between Russia-backed separatist formations through the example of the story with the statement of Zakharchenko.
“I would very much like the leaders of the Normandy Four not to speak about inadequate statements expressed by one person from Donetsk, but about specific things,” Aivazovska said.
As reported, on July 19, the OSCE representative to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Ukraine Martin Sajdik said negotiations of the Normandy Four countries’ leaders in the teleconference format are scheduled for July 24.
The discussion on the disengagement of forces and equipment in Stanytsia Luhanska took place. He said that in this regard he hopes for a positive decision on this issue prior to the teleconference of the Normandy Four countries’ leaders on July 24.
