Russia: ‘We are at ground zero’ – Kozak on conflict resolution in Ukraine

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Russian chief negotiator Dmitri Kozak stated that attempts to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine were at ‘ground zero,’ during a presser in Moscow on Friday following the Normandy Format talks which were held in Berlin the previous day.

“The entire seven, eight years since the conflict started and eight years since the agreements were signed has been a complete bluff. We are at ground zero where we left off on March 9, 2015.”

Kozak noted that the Ukrainian side wants to have smooth things over through mediators, that there should be an OSCE chairman who should mediate between Kiev and Donbas.

“Foreign states such as Germany, Russia and France cannot dictate to the Ukrainian legislative and executive authorities what constitutional amendments should be introduced. This can only be the result of an agreement between Ukrainian citizens who live on both sides of the contact line,” the politician further outlined.

Discussions on the Normandy Format held in the German capital with leaders of the Baltic states were a continuation of talks held on January 26 in Paris, focusing on the increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine and aiming to de-escalate the situation.

Chancellor Scholz is expected to travel to Kiev and Moscow in the following week to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Dmitri Kozak, Russian chief negotiator in ‘Normandy Format’ talks (Russian): “The entire seven, eight years since the conflict started and eight years since the agreements were signed have been a complete bluff. We are at ground zero where we left off on March 9, 2015”.

SOT, Dmitri Kozak, Russian chief negotiator in ‘Normandy Format’ talks (Russian): “Three of the four participants in the Normandy format are not prepared to implement the Minsk agreements. Even references to the provisions we suggested quoting and recommended the working group start consultations negotiations on these key issues related to the conditions for ending the conflict. Colleagues told us that this is not possible. They cannot mention in their documents the necessity of consultations and discussions agreements within the Trilateral Contact Group with representatives of certain districts. ‘It is impossible to mention certain districts at all,’ our colleagues said.”

SOT, Dmitri Kozak, Russian chief negotiator in ‘Normandy Format’ talks (Russian): “The Ukrainian side has said that this is impossible, they believe that the word “consultation”, “discussion” should be given a different meaning and that this conversation is only possible through mediators, that there should be an OSCE chairman who should mediate between Kiev and Donbas, and that a final decision should be made in the Normandy format. That is also impossible, not provided for in any documents, any agreements. Moreover, the Normandy format cannot do all this. Foreign states such as Germany, Russia and France cannot dictate to the Ukrainian legislative and executive authorities what constitutional amendments should be introduced. This can only be the product, the result of an agreement between Ukrainian citizens who live on both sides of the contact line. This is the logic of the Minsk agreements. Ukrainian colleagues suggest that all final decisions on these issues should be deferred to the Normandy format so that the Normandy format can give them a prescription on how to resolve the conflict in Donbas.”

SOT, Journalist (Russian): “Is it true that at one time you had to enlist the help of the Cambridge dictionary?” *UPSOUND*

Dmitri Kozak, Russian chief negotiator in ‘Normandy Format’ talks (Russian): “Yes. Yes, because in these attempts to distort the Minsk agreements, to evade their implementation, our colleagues from Ukraine tried to give their own, Ukrainian, interpretation of the words “consultation” and “discussion”. I had to show the Cambridge English Dictionary to show the meanings of these words. These words are the same, and there is a common meaning of these words in English, Russian and Ukrainian. There can be no interpretations, no misunderstandings - it is a conversation, a discussion of something with the aim of finding a mutually acceptable solution. In the case of counselling, it is written - a meeting to discuss something or someone. It’s widely available; it’s a dictionary for sale in every shop. Nevertheless, it didn’t help.”

Video ID: 20220211-040

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