Moscow, April 7 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Riabkov said on the 7th that in view of the position of the United States, the United States will not be able to participate in the coordination of the “Normandy model” talks on eastern Ukraine.
Russian media quoted Riabkov as saying that Russian and American representatives held talks on the situation in Udong on the 6th. Russia made it clear to the United States that the Ukrainian authorities and the Western countries behind it, led by the United States, should consider the consequences of provocation. Russia believes that given the position of the United States on the eastern issue of Ukraine, the United States cannot participate in the “Normandy model” talks to coordinate the local situation.
In addition, Riabkov also said that Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United States, will not return to the United States in the near future, and that the date of his return to the United States depends on the efforts of the United States to normalize relations with Russia.
Previously, due to the tension between Russia and the United States, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the recall of Antonov in late March to discuss the prospects of Russian-American relations.
The situation in eastern Ukraine has recently become tense again. The Ukrainian side said on March 30 that Russia’s army gathering in the Russian-Ukraine border area poses a serious threat to Ukraine’s national security. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov said on April 1 that the military forces of NATO countries and other forces are becoming more active in the Russian border area, forcing Russia to remain vigilant. Russia is taking the necessary measures to ensure the security of its borders.
In April 2014, a large-scale conflict between Ukrainian government forces and civilian forces broke out in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Through the mediation of the international community, the two parties to the conflict reached a ceasefire agreement in Minsk in September 2014 and February 2015, respectively. Since then, large-scale armed conflicts have been brought under control, but small-scale exchange of fire occur from time to time.
The “Normandy model” originated from the international commemoration ceremony of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landing in France in June 2014, during which the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine held a series of consultations on the situation in Ukraine.
