Heiko Maas / Photo from an open source

Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas says new dynamics are needed in the Minsk peace talks to resolve the situation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

"This is extremely necessary," he said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin in Kyiv on January 18, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

"We will continue to work to achieve this," he said.

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"We together with our French friends feel responsibility and obligations to hold a meeting in the Normandy format," he added.

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The Normandy format includes representatives of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia.

Klimkin said in turn that Ukraine was ready for a meeting in the Normandy format.

"We are ready for a meeting in the Normandy format, but these should be result-oriented meetings. The meetings should focus on security in Donbas, on safety and freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait and in the Sea of Azov, and, of course, on the release of [Ukrainian] political prisoners and hostages," Klimkin said.