According to Merkel, it is not known whether a meeting in the "Normandy format" between Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France on resolving the crisis in Donbas will take place in Astana on January 15.
Whether the meeting takes place or not "will only be known after talks to be held in the coming days," the German chancellor said, adding that the foreign ministers of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France are currently working on this issue.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced that on January 15 the Kazakh capital Astana would host a meeting of leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France on resolving the situation in the Donbas.
On December 30, the press service of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev confirmed the country's readiness to hold a meeting on January 15-16 in the Normandy format.
As earlier reported, in March 2014, after annexing the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, Russia began to destabilize the situation in the Donbas with the direct participation of Russian special services and support of the Russian army in the Donbas.
Despite Russian denials, a large body of photographic and video evidence shows that Russia has been supplying weapons to the militants who have seized control in some parts of Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It has also been sending mercenaries and its regular troops to the Donbas.
In view of such actions, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Japan, Australia and several other countries have introduced sanctions against Russia.
