PARIS — The presidents of Ukraine and Russia met on the sidelines of the four-party Normandy format summit dedicated to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine in Donbas.
The Dec. 9 meeting in Paris was the first face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin and the first Normandy summit in three years.
After almost seven hours of talks, the two presidents, together with the leaders of Germany and France, signed a memorandum outlining three commitments aimed at advancing peace: imposing a ceasefire by the end of December, implementing the so-called “Steinmeier Formula” and holding more talks in four months.
The two sides also agreed to another prisoner exchange by the end of the month and to pull back troops at three more flashpoint locations along the front line.
“It is very hard to negotiate with Putin,” Zelensky told the Ukrainian media after midnight when the summit concluded.
“Whether it is possible to agree on something with Putin, we will see soon. Today, there were some small concessions (from the Russian side). I felt it,” he added, without providing details.
The nature of how the two presidents would interact also sparked public interest. Zelensky has already faced criticism and protests at home over concerns he would make concessions to Putin in a hasty effort to restore peace in Donbas.
During the summit, Putin’s press secretary claimed that the Russian and Ukrainian leaders shook hands.
Zelensky’s spokesperson did not confirm this.
“We, me and you, need a result. If your task is to come over and spit on someone, then what is the point of coming and negotiating,” Zelensky said.
Beginning
The Normandy format meeting began at roughly 2:50 p.m. local time as a German Mercedes with a black, red and gold flag entered the Elysee Palace gates.
French President Emmanuel Macron appeared in the arch leading to his residence. He smiled as German Chancellor Angela Merkel walked along the palace patio to shake his hand. The pair exchanged kisses on the cheek, continued smiling, posed for a photograph and went inside.
Zelensky arrived right after Merkel at 2:57 p.m. in a gray Renault, a French car. Macron welcomed Zelensky with a long handshake and a few friendly pats on the shoulder.
The last to arrive was Putin. He came 15 minutes late, something of a tradition for the Russian leader. He arrived in a Russian-made limousine, which he brings on the plane during all his international trips.
Putin observed the crowds of journalists with a smile. Then he approached the French president, who greeted him with a half-hug and several friendly pats on the back.
Who met whom
The schedule for the summit changed many times throughout the day. Some meetings were brief, while others lasted longer than planned.
The host Macron first invited Zelensky for a bilateral meeting while Merkel met with Putin. Later, the pairs swapped and held another round of talks: Macron with Putin and Merkel with Zelensky.
Merkel and Macron then met. Their talk mainly focused on European politics, the German chancellor later said at a press conference. The two European leaders had found themselves in conflict, in part over their attitudes toward Russia. However, in Paris, they acted as if those tensions did not exist.
Their meeting lasted around 15 minutes, according to the Elysee Palace. It is unclear what Zelensky and Putin were discussing during this time. Rumors claimed that they had met and talked, but Zelensky’s office denied this.
At 5:20 p.m., almost an hour after the talks’ scheduled start time, the four leaders took their seats at a large round table for the Normandy format meeting. Zelensky and Putin sat opposite one another.
After 2.5 hours, the four-way talks were unexpectedly interrupted. Zelensky’s spokesperson said the presidents of Ukraine and Russia would now hold a bilateral meeting. No further explanation followed. The two leaders spoke for around an hour, three times longer than planned. They then joined Merkel and Macron to continue negotiating the memorandum during dinner.
Near midnight, the Normandy four came out to meet the press.
Tension at the press conference
Putin and Zelensky visibly reacted to each other’s speeches during the press conference. Putin grimaced when Zelensky said “federalization is impossible for Ukraine.”
Russia has long pushed for federalization in the country. Although the Ukrainian government supports and has implemented de-centralization, the term “federalization” suggests for many a system in which the Russian-occupied Donbas could derail Ukraine’s integration with the European Union.
Putin again grimaced and began taking notes when Zelensky stated Kyiv’s approach to ending the war: first Ukraine must regain control of the border with Russia, and then it will hold local elections in Donbas. Russia supports taking those steps in the reverse order.
When it was Putin’s turn to speak, he said roughly the same thing he did three years ago. He suggested that Ukraine must have direct dialogue with leaders of the Russia-backed militants in Donbas. Zelensky rejects this proposal.
“Russia will do everything that we are authorized to do in order to end the conflict. However, it is important that the conflicting sides negotiate with each other. That is what is important,” Putin said.
Putin and his government have long refused to admit that Russian military forces are fighting in Donbas alongside Russia-backed militants, despite extensive evidence of their presence.
In response to Putin’s comments, Zelensky smiled and gave a long glance to his team of negotiators, who were sitting in the first row of the conference hall.
Putin then said that Ukraine and Russia had moved forward on several issues in the negotiations. He did not elaborate.
Zelensky also said that he wanted to resolve more problems than the Normandy four managed to address. He later told the Ukrainian media that the sides did not discuss Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014. The Ukrainian president said he is ready for such a discussion.
Main achievements
In the end, the summit brought a small but concrete result. The four leaders signed a brief memorandum consisting of only three bullet points.
1. Stabilize the situation in Donbas
This requires:
- a ceasefire by the end of 2019
- updating and implementing the existing plan to remove landmines from Donbas
- opening new crossing points for civilians along the front line within 30 days
- giving the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) special monitoring mission full access to Donbas and allowing it to work 24 hours a day, rather than the current 12.
- pulling back troops at three more sites on the front line by the end of March 2020. These areas will soon be identified. Zelensky has promised it will not jeopardize Ukraine’s defense interests.
- holding a prisoner swap by the end of the year to launch an “all for all” series of prisoner exchanges. The first exchange, in December, will be held between Ukraine and the Russian-backed militants. “72 people can return home,” Zelensky said.
2. Start implementing the Minsk Protocols
This requires:
- granting the occupied Donbas a special status on a permanent basis. This law, which will grant the region a degree of self-governance, was passed in 2014, but will only start working on the day of the local elections in the region.
- incorporating the “Steinmeier formula” — a simplified peace plan named after then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier — into Ukrainian legislation, if necessary.
3. Continue negotiating
This requires that:
- the countries’ foreign ministers and political advisors continue meeting.
- the Normandy four meet again in four months to discuss “the political and security conditions, inter alia for the organization of the local elections.”
Stumbling blocks
Despite Ukraine and Russia making modest commitments in a joint memorandum, there are still several stumbling blocks that stand between Kyiv and peace in Donbas.
Gas transit
Russia is finishing its Nord Stream 2 undersea pipeline, designed to export gas to the EU and bypass Ukraine. The Kremlin has previously stated that it will not need Ukraine for gas transit in the future. Currently, Russian gas is transported through Ukraine’s territory, providing Kyiv with $3 billion in revenue annually.
“We spent the majority of the time at our tête-à-tête meeting with Putin on that very issue [gas],” Zelensky told the Ukrainian media.
Zelensky said that Ukraine and Russia will soon sign a new, better transit agreement. The current agreement expires on Dec. 31.
“It is very difficult when your opponent insists on a one-year contract and you push for a ten-year one. I think we will end up somewhere in the middle,” he said.
The border
The presidents of Ukraine and Russia have “opposite views” on how Ukraine would regain control over its border with Russia. Zelensky calls this “one of the most complicated issues to solve.”
Russia wants elections in Donbas to be held before Ukraine regains control of the border. Ukraine insists that first Russian-backed militants must withdraw from the territory.
However, Zelensky said the two sides are not at a dead end.
“We have a few ideas and started talking it through. I suggested creating a special group in Minsk that would focus on regaining control over the border step by step. I said that this process must conclude before elections (in Donbas),” he added.
