President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to return from the Normandy format negotiations in Paris with a clear understanding on the release of Ukrainian hostages and on those responsible for ceasefire in Donbas. The Head of State announced this on the program "Freedom of Speech of Savik Shuster".
He recalled that his pre-election stance in the presidential race was the aspiration to end the war and return Ukrainian prisoners and Ukrainian territories. In September, we managed to release political prisoners and sailors detained in the Russian Federation, and in November - to return seized ships. "I perceive this signal as the fact that Russia is ready to talk," the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stressed that Ukraine fulfilled all its obligations. There was a disengagement of forces and means in three areas, the text of the "Steinmeier formula" was agreed, which will be implemented in the law on the special status of Donbas.
The President noted that ceasefire had been announced many times before, but nothing had happened.
“For me, the main thing is not what I will go with, but the result, which I will bring home to my native Ukraine… So I want to understand exactly that if we are going for Minsk: exchange - how many people we can return home and when. The second question is: if there is a ceasefire, who is responsible for this, not only the OSCE,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He also said that he was planning a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Normandy summit.
“It is very important to me: if we are talking about a ceasefire, we will not speak in the Minsk format or in a tripartite meeting. We will look eye to eye with the President of the Russian Federation,” the Head of State emphasized.
"I want to see the person and bring from the Normandy meeting the understanding and the feeling that really everyone wants to gradually end this tragic war. I will be able to understand it clearly at the table (of negotiations - ed.),” the Head of State emphasized.
The President also said he hoped for the support of Germany and France.