The former Trilateral Contract Group before resignation of special OSCE envoy Tagliavini (in the center)
Darka Olifer, the press secretary of former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who represents Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group on the implementation of the peace plan in the east of Ukraine, says that Ukraine adheres to the decision taken by the Normandy Four.
Russia insists on the expansion of the Tripartite Contact Group to the 3+2 format by including the terrorist organizations, the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic ("DPR" and "LPR" respectively), as separate parties to the negotiations on the settlement of the Donbas conflict.
Olifer refers to the fact that the Normandy Four leaders – the presidents of Ukraine, France, Russia and the Chancellor of Germany – had approved the format of the Trilateral Contact Group as it is now.
The Normandy Four approved the tripartite format with Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE as parties to the negotiations on the Donbas conflict. Russia insists that the format should look like 3+2, i.e. Ukraine, Russia, the OSCE with the representatives of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR,"" she said.
In this regard, Olifer said that "Ukraine adheres to the decision taken by the Normandy Four."