continuation of talks with Russia is ‘good news’, says Kyiv

Finally a glimmer of hope in the crisis in Ukraine? The continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian discussions at the beginning of February in Berlin is a “good news”, implying that Russia will privilege the diplomatic way at least until then, affirmed Thursday January 27 the head of the Ukrainian diplomacy. For Dmytro Kouleba, the meeting on Wednesday in Paris of Russian and Ukrainian diplomats with French and German representatives did not, however, “nothing changed” on the background. “That’s the bad news”, he observed.

“The good news is that the advisers have agreed to meet in Berlin in two weeks, which means that at least for the next two weeks Russia is likely to stay on a diplomatic track.”

Dmytro Kouleba, head of Ukrainian diplomacy

at a press conference

The Americans and NATO delivered two separate letters to the Russians on Wednesday, which demanded a written response to the draft treaties they had sent to Westerners in mid-December. The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, replied Thursday that the United States had not given a positive response to the “main” Russian claim, namely the end of NATO enlargement, in particular to Ukraine.